Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-23
CATCHING RATS.
Philadelphia COlOred Mans Revolving
Work for Wager of $500.


PhiladelpAid SEecial.
William Henry Lewis, a cOlored man,
| tried on Saturday night to pick up and
place in barrel 100 live rats in the space
OF sixty minutes for wager of 5000. 1t
was stipulated that he should do
she work with bare arms and hands.
Lewis is Philadelphian, and 40
years old. He has had fifteen years
experience as a professional rat catcher.
For five years he was employed catching
wharf rats in New York for the well
known dog fancier, Harry Jennings. The
exhibition occurred in Frankfort, and
fifty men paid 81 each to witness 1T. After
the match had ended it was limited that
its managers had put up no stakes, and
that the receipts for admission were divid-
| ed between Lewis, his alleged hacker, and
| the proprietor of the house in which the
affair took place.
In the centre OF the room, space eight
feet square was surrounded by tight
| board fence, four feet high. The floor was
covered an inch deep with sawdust. In
the centre of the pen stood an empty
whisky barrel, the upper head of which
was replaced by piece of canvas, with q
hole in its centre. The rats were con-
fined in three tin-lined, wooden cages
which stood in the yard, AS the visitors
entered the front saloon they were intro
duced to Lewis, who INDUCED in the flow
ing bowl SO frequently that before 10
O'Clock, when the rat handling began,
he was in bOastful but good natured
state of intOXication. When Lewis got
into the pit he wore a sleeveless under
shirt, and the legs of his trousers were
tied around his ankles to prevent the
rats from taking refuge up his shanks.
His hands and arms were covered with
musk. which he believes will prevent rats
from biting him. Forty rats were dumped
from cage into the pit. The rats darted
wildly around through the sawdust and
made vain endeayOrs to scale the fence.
\ Finally, they huddled in a wriggling mass
in one corner, and the Judges gave Lewis
the word to begin. He moved over to the
pile of rats, and without an instant's
hesitation thrust his naked hands and
arms in among them. He caught five fat
fellows and dropped them into the barrel.
Before the fOrtIeth rat was placed in the
barrel he had received seven wounds,
which were dipped in whisky.
The judges announced that the 40 rats
were picked up in % minutes. Lewis
wanted the remaining 60 placed in the pit
at one time, holding that it was unfair to
drop them in in small lots, as he lost time
picking up the stragglers. The judges
held that as 40 had been pitted on the first
occasion, that number would have to be
dropped in again, leaving 20 to form the
last batch. Lewis worked with great
agility, and rat after rat was lifted and
dropped into the barrel with amazing
rapidity. The fifty-seventh rat he at
tempted to touch sprang IN his face as he
stopped and bit through the mans
lower lip. Without fiinching, he grabbed
the little brute and tossed it through the
canvas cover. He lost five minutes stanch-
ing the blood that flowed from his lip. In
picking up the other % rats he was bitten
slightly five times, Eighty rats were in
the barrel and Lewis had only seven min
utes to pick up the remaining 20. The
time was too limited and Lewis gave up
the job and got out of the pit. The spec
tators were satisfied with his efforts, how
ever, and a collection amounting to $50
was taken up for his benefit.