Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-20
AplNG CLEOpATRAS FOLLY.
A Philadelphia Monkey Swallows Mrs.
McDonald's Solitaire.
PHILADELPHIA Record

Mrs. Albert Mcdonald. of Trenton, n. j.,
who il at the Lafayette Hotel on her
wedding tour, wants 10 buy. one OF
the monkeys at the Zoo. This par
ticular monkey was held very cheap
three DAYS ago. but Superintendent
Byrne wants 500 for him now, and
threatens TO put up the price even higher
if Mrs. McDOnald's husband does not make
up his mind very soon about buying him
The monkey ordinarily is worth about $40,
and the reason for such an enormous in
crease in his value is the fact that he has
one Of Mrs. McDonald's twO-carat solitaire
diamond earrings in his stomach.
Mrs. Mcdonald arrived i'll this city on
SATURDAY. with her husband, and they VS.
tied the loo on Monday. The BRIDE wore
n handsome pair of diamond earrings,
each weighing within tritie OF two carats.
Mrs. Mcdonald was especially amused by
the monkeys, and she fingered about the
monkey-hOuse for a long time.
She was highly entertained NJ the at
ternpts of lOng-armed ape 10 grab every
thing that came within reach, but IN her
eagerneSs to see all that was gong on She
stepped too close to the cage, and like a
fash the big monkeys arm was thrust
through the wires and his ugly paws grab
bed one Of her earrings. In another III
slant the jabbering brute was of 10 the
ornament in his possession. Mrs. Nc
Donald screamed, and in an ecstacy Of
alarm cried out: Catch him! Pull him
out! The nasty thing has got my dla-
m0ndi :"
In an instant the people on the outside
of the mOnkey-cage were making as much
of q chatter As the Screeching. chatterlng
monkeys within. Half dozen umbrellas
were iobbed at the grlnnlng beast, winch
retreated TO a lofty perch and deliberately
swallowed the ear-ring-stone' gold, and
all.
" Mercy" cried Mrs. Mcdonald in de-
spair, "he has eaten up my diamond" and
then. with her husband in full pursuit,
she rushed from the place to get Superln-
tendent Byrne. That gentleman listened
TO the lady's excited story with composure.
What am | to do, madame Z" SAID he
finally. =.
why, kill the brute and get my oia-
mond; it's worth $780, promptly re-
sponded Mrs. Mcdonald.
That's impossible" responded the SUI
perintendent. The monkey belongs to
the society, and is valuable"
Then Mrs Mcdonald offered TO buy the
monkey and kill him herself. But Mr..
Bvrne SAID that would never do; the So
cety for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Dumb Animals would interfere.
Finally 1t was suggested that IL some
physician would agree to chlorOform the
monkey and kill him without pain he might
cut him open and get the jewel.
Mrs. Mcdonald rushed down town and
succeeded in getting DR.. Thomas II. An
drews TO consent to the killing and cutting
up. Then she rushed back to the Zoo and
made a bargain to buy the monkey for
500. But here was hitch. Mr.. Melon
aid demurred TO paying such price for q
monkey, especially as it was so soon TO be
dead monkey. Mrs. Mcdonald dis
solved in tears and upbraided her spouse,
telling him that he didn't want TO get the
diamond back because the pair had
been present from her former
husband. But Mr.. Mcdonald was obdu-
rate. His bride. however, hopes to coax
the money out of him to-day. In the mean
time Superintendent Byrne says he thinks
of raising the price on that monkey, and
Mr.. McDOnald's friends say-that he had
better pay the money than buy another
pair of diamond earrings.
DIR. Andrews has made his case of instru-
ments all ready, and says that he VIII Kill
the monkey so neatly that the brute will
never know when he died.