Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-30
A RAT BAIT.
Lively ExhibitiOn-Five Rats Killed
in Thirty-One Seconds.


Fhftddetphid Times.
Germantown had new excitement on
FRIDAY night. 1t had rafting main. the
first, it is believed, ever held within tic
historic precincts. The scene was room
about fifteen feet square. on the ton floor
OF Cummings Hotel, on Chelten avenue.
Inc actors were a quantity of miserable
rats, nearly dozen dogs. about forty
sporting spectators, Fred Smith. of 1922
Ridge avenue, who won Immortality
among rat catchers by biting rats against
dogs in Camden a few weeks ago, and
ola sport" StetsOn, who looked after
the rat pit, which was four feet six inches
In diameter and three feet high. The
pit was critically examined before Dro-
ceedings began and rattingFexperts. after
testing the zinc with which it was lined
three-quarters OF the way up, pronounced
1t to be all that rat-fghters could desire
trouble began at $3.50 O'Clock. Then the
following dogs were entered: Shotover.
~ pounds, belonging to Thomas Howard,
Germantown; FOley's Pet, II pounds.
S0merville, of IrishtOwn; Tip, IS pounds.
,John Roche" of Germantown: Sport
2lK pounds, r. Cummings, Germantown:
MingO, q. pounds, II. Evans, German
town; Mac, IA pounds, Collins, German
town. These dogs were to fry
which could kill five rats in the
shortest time, and the owner of
the winning dog was to be presented with
a silver cup, which was about the size of
three Walnuts and hung suspended by a
cotton rag behind Mr.. Cummings bar.
The room in which the main took place
was insutferably hot and possessed an at
mosphere three parts tobacco smoke and
one part of undeinable stale odors. Shot
over was first to enter the arena,
She is tiny little black and tan.
and it was confidently prophesied that
the rats would kill her instead of
her killing the rats. She managed
10 dispose OF them in three minutes and
three seconds, which Erred" said was
wonderfully good time, considering her
SIZE. Her delighted owner kissed her on
the CORY nose. ''FOley's Pet'' was not
frightened at the rats, but at her owner.
who hOwled, beat the zinc with his fists
and waved his plug hat in the dogs face
by way OF encouragement. She kill her
rats Notwithstanding in one minute and
twenty-three seconds.
The most exciting part of this bout was
the leaplng over the pit of a fine grey
bearded rat. 1t landed on the waiscOat
OF sport" who hOwled and rushed
around the room, whereupOn there was a
panic, in which the frail boards upon
which the spectators were standing gave
way and seut number of other ''sports''
rolling on the floor. Some were slightly
injured; others were greatly frightened.
Fred Smith cOrnered the rat. seized If by
the tail and threw it back into the pit. where
1t was speedily dispatched. 'Tfp" killed
his rats in two minutes. His owner in
sisted thrice in calling out Esdead'' when
the rats were not dead, and thus he de-
stroyed the dogs record. The manner in
which 1t was decided whether or not rat
was dead was for Erred" to jump into the
pit, pull the rat into a small chalked cir
m foJ Il
craWled outside the ring after that it was
pronounced not dead.
sport, wicked-lOOking blue dog, half
scotch terrier and whatnO killed his rats
in thirty-One seconds, and it was believed
he could have had Il twenty-nine seconds
record had it not been for the mismanage-
ment of his trainer. Sports owner and
the manager Of the hotel said Sport had
never been in rat pit before, but the dog
had singular 'professiOnaT' air about
him. Mr.. Evans dog MingO killed ten
rats in one minute and fifty seconds. She
was merely puppy, and played with the
rats, While she Wagged her tail and looked
up for appreciation. Mac, a wonderfully
game little skye terrier, killed his rats in
one minute and five seconds. He was
lifted out of the pit with a rat in his
mouth, which he could not be persuaded
to abandon.
After an adjournment for drinks in the
nOisOme saloon below, Erred Smith" gave
an exhibition. His famous dog Paddy was
put into the pit to kill two rats that had
been nailed up in cigar boxes. He
scraunched boxes and rats between his
jaws at one bite. Then Nell the Camden
cup winner, showed how she could kill
rats, and this was followed by an eXhi-
bition by Paddy, who disposed of his
five rats IN less than twenty seconds. Be
pif Df I,o
rats escaped, and to see the way in
which the sports jumped about, nus
tied, swore and yelled, made Paddy blush
visibly. BY midnight the floor of the
room was covered with rat gore, and the
majority of the ''sports" were well primed
with the landlords lager beer. The cup
was awarded to the landlords dog, Sport
In the course Of another week German
town, it is said, will have another of
these entertainments, and again there
will be gathering Of Philadelphia rat
''spOrts."