New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-25
FerOcity of an AiIigatOr-He Seizes a
Woman and Drags Her into a Canal.


The Planters Banner, published at. New
Iberia, thus refers to the following aston
ishing narrative:
This week DR.. Maguires alligator story
appears in our columns Those who are ac
| quainted with Dr. Maguire's reputation fol
veraeity will not doubt the truthfulness Of
the statement, strange as it may appear
| Those at a distance may rest assured thai
the statement of the doctor is strictly true
This is DR.. Maguire's true story as told
III the Banner:
| want to tell an alligator story that
! knocks to pieces all sensational romance, OIL
| the most horTid forms of nightmare ever
| produced by eating sucking pig for supper
| 1t reminds one of the fight of Clubin with
| the pieuvre or jelly fish, in the ''Toilers OF
| the Sea-"
Yesterday colored woman, the wife of
| George Harmelin, on Nine. .. Delahous-
saye's plantation, was washing her clothes
on the banks Of the Grand Marais canal,
about four feet deep at this time. A large
black alhgato twelve feet long, which had
few days before captured large hog, ard
which was probably hidden in the bushes,
seeking its prey, darted in noiseless,
stealthy way and caught the woman by the
arm, dragging her in the water. She sue
ceeded in disengaging her arm, when the
monster enclosed her head in its laws and
brought her once more under the water:
Then trightfu1 struggle took place: the
nelghbors too far off TO hear the cries of the
unfortunate woman, she was left to defend
her own life. She can't give an exact ac-
count of the manner by which she eXtricated
her head from the monsters Jaws but said
she never lost presence of mind and her
fixed purpose of reaching the bank She
succeeded at last and offered then pitiable
aspect indeed. Her arm presented several
deep cuts, one of them coming very near
the artery of the pulse. The forehead had
also some deep wounds, but the fangs OF the
alligator had not pierced the back hair or
chignon. None of these bites were torn or
jagged. but all offered clean, linear shape,
like that of tine-edged knife | saw The
woman about an hour after the accident,
and L could detect no trace of excitement in
her manner. | suppose she owes her life to
her sang troid and selfpossession. Old
hunters remark that swamp alligatOrs are
more ferocious than the lake or bayou
specimens. This'one had a turned-up snout,
like the Nile alligator, so well known for its
ferocity-at hast, so say the neiphbors
The nolseless approach OF the animal-not
creating ripple or a cracking in the
weeds--and seizing the arm of the un-
alarmed woman, are very remarkable
Every reader can picture his or her feslings
in the same case.
l am, very respectfully, yours,
A. MAGUIRE.
We copy the Planters Banners report
what that paper calls an Outrageous as
sault," expressing the hope that the report
is greatly exaggerated
Last Saturday morning DR.. w. s. Leake,
one OF our most esteemed and prominent
was brutally assaulted by
negro man, named Robert Hastings, who
was acting as hostler for him and DR.,
Walker. his partner. The negro was asked
to hitchup the doctors horse, and refused
to do so, saying he ''didn have time" DR..
Leake then asked for bis harness, which
was thrown on the ground IN a very inso-
lent manner, and as he had no desire to
have difficulty with the negro, who ap-
peared to be drunk or in very bad humor. |
left the stable, and was followed by Bob,
who had picked up pieux, five or six feet |
long, IN very threatening manner. As he |
was crossing the lot he turned to see what |
were the iEtentions of the negro who still |
followed him, when ne was rushed upon |
and thrown to the ground. The negro then /
caught up brick and struck the doctor on /
he head, breaking the brick into pieces.
Dut, fortunately, without stunning HIM.
The doctor succeeded in drawing his pocket |
knife, though the negro was on top Of him,
ind inficting slight wound in the negro's
zip, whereupon the negro caught him by
he wrist, and prevented the further use
# the knife, calling at the same time
or help. A negro woman, cook at the
lotel, ran up, and pulled Bob off from the
loctor, and the desperate Immediately dis
.ppeared.
Dr. Leake was severely bruised on the
ead by the brick, and thinks that one of
us ribs was broken in the melee. We are
lad to say that he is in no danger, and is
low doing we'll.
Although warrant for the arrest OF the
egro was taken out before noon on Satur-
ay, and placed in the hands of the proper
ficer, and he has been known to have been
a town several times since Saturday. he
as not been arrested.