Daily Republican., 1882-05-30
THIRD EDITION.
RIDlE g An ALL 6 AfOR.
A Florida. an Cap urss ana Iames
. sauriaD ana Sells Bin for Ten
nnIlArQ

A Florida an zap utts ehH oAAes
SauriaD ana Sells ID Inn for Ten
Dollars.
A scene recently took place at Lake
Lochloosa sation, on the Peninsular
railroad, hich for genuine excitement
and sensation will completely lay in
the shade oie best Spanish bull fight on
record A party of men on the wharf
saw laree alligator about hundred
yards out the lake gently reposing
amid the ripple that a pleasant breeze
was making Some of the party got
into boat, carrying with them small
harpOon hook, and rowed out to the
alligator, When in convenient dis
tance the harpocn was thrown and with
unerrlpg Shot ade its way into the
breast Just behind the right fore leg. =
No sooner than this vas done, and
while the alligator was raging IN the
waters in its most owerful efforts TO
RELEASE itself, one Of the party, Mr..
Posey man probably fifty years OF
age, leaped into the lake, swan to the
roaring surging monster, got upon lis
back, grabbed it around the meek ana
rode it to land amid the shouts OF those
who were fortunate enough to witness
the exciting scene. When measured
the monster was found to be ten feet
and six inches long.
Strange to say, after Mr.. Po3ey had
backed him and gIappled him around
the neck the beast was almost entirely
subdued. A few lunges and he quietly
followed the tightening OF the rope nn.
til he reached the shore tanner but
preatly-confused alligator. His mouth
was then muzzled and a rope tied
around bis belly, and it was hauled up
on the platform at the depot.
When the afternoon train came
long the passengers got out to look at
the beast and its valiant captor, and
then another scene took place quite as
exciting and extraordinary as the one
in thewater. Posey got on the gator to
ride it for the entertainment of the
crowd. After much tickling and
spurring he aroused the animal into
such desperate struggle for freedom
that everybody expected to see some
one literary chewed up and swallowed
by it.
In the melee it snapped the ropes
that were bound around its long and
brutal mouth, and then, making a dash
for the ground, it was swung up by the
rope, tied by its body and fastened to a
post. 1t soon broke this and fell heavi.
ly to the ground, when it put out for
the lake. But it was scarcely landed
before Posey was on its back, when a
struggle ensued between man and alli-
gator that could scarcely have its par
allel in the arena of acrobatic action.
The crowd scattered at this appalling
scene, and men there who, If fist fights
with alligators were feasible and
practicable thing, would be strong
enough for the business, exclaimed that
he world had not treasure enough to
induce them to enter such dangerous
struggle. Yet, in few seconds, Posey
was master of the situation, the saurian
was conquered and lay as quietly un
der the grasp of its conqueror as if,
instead Of being four hundred pounds OF
real live alligator, it was the most cow
ardly cur. A shout of victory went
up for Posey, and parties went to bis
assistance, and, again tying and secur.
ing the animal, the job was completed
and the hero OF the fight offered his
prisoner in market tor the trit1iug sum
of $40.