The reason that Mary went on a rampage and killed her assistant trainer is that he (the trainer) hit her across the head with a prod while he was leading her to a local watering hole after a show. Mary was the star of a circus act and the assistants job was to keep her fed and watered. She wasn't shot because the circus owner knew she would probably just get mad if the first bullet didn't hit its mark. When she was hung the first chain broke and she fell and broke her hip. Then a second chain held and she died. The assistant trainer was killed in Kingsport, TN but Mary was hung in Erwin, Tn at a local rail yard.