Throughout history, there have been multiple occasions of circus animals turning on their trainers and injuring, maiming, or even killing the humans who worked with them so closely. There have been numerous cases of circus elephants killing trainers, and did you know that this even happened right here in the Tar Heel State? Take a moment to read all about the John Robinson circus trainer story of how a circus animal crushed a man. It's a heartbreaking tale, but one of the most interesting in North Carolina history.

The name of the man at the center of this unfortunate story was John King. King was a John Robinson circus trainer. At the time, this was one of the largest traveling circus shows in the country. John Robinson had elephants and a huge menagerie featuring other creatures.

In September of 1880, the circus came to Charlotte to put on one of its four-ring, three-menagerie shows for an adoring public.

Unlike today, when the population of Charlotte is quickly approaching the 1,000,000 mark, the city was much smaller in 1800 and had only 7,900 residents.

The John Robinson Circus was a big deal at the time, and it's easy to underestimate the thrill of seeing exotic circus elephants and other behemoths when people didn't have the internet or televisions.

After the shows wrapped up in Charlotte, the circus was loading up to depart on September 27, 1880, when an elephant named Chief turned on his trainer. In a fit of anger, he crushed him.

It's said that every bone in King's body was broken in the incident. Needless to say, this John Robinson Circus trainer did not survive.

It's said that Chief ended up being sent to a zoo in Cincinnati... where he eventually killed two more people.

John King's friends and coworkers in the John Robinson Circus banded together to erect a very respectable headstone to mark the site of his grave.

Visitors today see it at the entrance of the historic Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte.

Did you know about this unfortunate incident of an elephant killing a trainer? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Who knew there was a man crushed by an elephant in North Carolina? The John Robinson Circus was family-owned from 1842 until 1911 and was managed by four generations of Robinsons before selling to the American Circus Corporation, which eventually sold to Ringling Bros.

If you want to check out other unusual sights in Charlotte, NC, take a peek at the North Carolina tours available on Viator.