The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-27
THE INDIAN MAN EATER.

The man eaters do not seem 10 be dis
appearing as rapidly as might be expected
under English dominion in India. and
many thousands of people are annually
made victims. The tigers even Turk
along the highways and devour the native
postmcn. OF how the dangerous beasts
are sometimes destroyed is told in the fol
lowing account by a late writer:
While sitting in the little depot at Jooa
one afternoon. in conversation with the
station agent. Freight No 49," from
Madras. came in OH the siding opposite to
wait for the Bombay express to pass
Attached to the long train of rice cars
were several flats. some with ''daks' on
them. others with %palanquins, and on the
hindermost q very odd looking object
which u: once attracted attention
the more that there seemed 70 be Il man
inside IL.
What have you got on that rear car,
Falesy" my friend, the agent, called out to
the conductor of the freight.
You've got me now, replied that
official with a laugh. That's a non
dcscript. No namo OF it. Billed to
Yuloodian Walk up and see for your
selves. gentlemen That is the shipper
inside: name, Gceter Hoom Joogr, by trade
u tiger killer. But you won't find him
laxative"
The 'nondescript" vas a round, cage
like structure, some l. feet in diameter
bv 6 or : in height. The bottom was Of
black timber. and the flat top OF the same,
but not quite 50 massive, while the sides
were of thick. straight, brown bamboo
rods or bars, set upright like stanchions
in the black bed pieces, with spaces
betwixt them 1 or . inches wide. Ia
short. it was a heavy round cage, made
years and years ago, and Of curious work
manship
BIT the old native inside it was a still
greater curiosity. He was arraycd in 4
dirty blue cotton frock and drawers OF
trousers If the same stuff. His feet were
bare-such feet They were s%hrunkcn,
bony and OF such shiny wine brown hue
as to give one the idea that they had been
calcined over Il slow fre. The man was
barehaaded. too. and what is not common
among Hindoos. his hair thin and in past
gray. was braided in u cue down his back.
The tiCbtness of the skin across his brows
gave 10 his countenance a strangely mum
mifed expression, hardly relieved by tine
deep, dull black eyes and coarse. thin eye
brows. while the lower part OF his face
was c~uriously marked with still coarser,
crinkled hairs. too scattering TO be termed
u beard
His general complexion was like an old
w!thered walnut. From the elbow down
his arms were bare. and they seemed
mere parcels of bQne and sinew bound
tightly up in sun dried hide, while his
lean fingers. like claws. terminated in
nails an inch or more long Indeed, in
matter of personal appearance Mr.. Geeter
2oom Joogr was Que of the very strangest,
unhuman human beings ! have ever
CHANGED to meet in any country.
Set against the side Of the cage were
two short spears or lances five or six feet
in length with handles Of some black
wood and their sharp. slender points Of
bright steel. which shone like silver.
These blades or points were OF themselves
nearly or quite two feet long-altogether
very ugly looking implements.
A few stohd responses were all that |
could elicit from the man 10y questions.
He said. or rather admitted. that he was
going 10 Yuloodian TO kill a tiger. and
that killing man eaters vas his business.
Fifty rupees was his price for killing a
dangerous tiger.
He had made this his business for
twenty years since the Sepoy war. | felt
very curious to know how the old man
hunted. and asked permission 10 60 up TO
Yuloodian and participate in the hunt.
To this request he made nc reply fer
awhile. but upon my urging 1t several
times at length said; The sahib can suit
himself"
Just then the express whistled In. and
as soon as it had passed the freight. and
with il old Geeter and his cage. moved on.
Late in the afternoon, after my duties
on the section were over for the day, |
went up Oh the way freight to Y%uloodian.
taking my Remington carbine and stock
II cartridges. 1t was dusk and the huts
were closed. but by dint OF knocking and
shouting / learned where the tiger hunter
had located his cage. found it a short
distance beyond the village. After some
parleyI was admitted through a little
trap door in the top. which was securely
fastened again. but my reception vas a
most ungracious one. He grumbled
o~minously in the native tongue of ny
disturbing the night and breaking the
spells.
Besides our two selves in the cage there
was the carcass Of Il goat TO attract the
tiger. Hour after hour Of the damp.
warm. dark night We sat crouched motion
less there. Old Geeter neither spoke nor
moved. but | could hear him breathe.
Once We heard u short, querulous roar.
which | supposed TO DO that ola tiger at
q distance, but no tiger came near that
night Tho next night I took a bird call
with NE. Ihad intended TO initiate the