the use of elephants as executioners continued well into the latter half of the 19th century. during an expedition to central india in 1868, louis rousselet described the execution of a criminal by an elephant. a sketch depicting the execution showed the condemned being forced to place his head upon a pedestal, and then being held there while an elephant crushed his head underfoot. the sketch was made into a woodcut and printed in "le tour du monde", a widely circulated french journal of travel and adventure, as well as foreign journals such as "harper's weekly".