Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-05
TALE OF A SHARK.
"SAN JOSE JOE" MAN-EATER
CAPTURED.
Ne Was a Big Fish, and Caused Mu,h Trouble
In South American Waters -Har.
pooned at Last.

"San lose Joe" was the name Of
twenty-five foot shark which had done
more toward reducing the population Of
the Central Americas than revolutions.
Joe was known In every port from
ChnmpcricO % Panama, and as early nS
1884 eyinced an appetite for human
flesh
Joe has been proof against the tricks
Of would be capturcrs and was MS bullet
proof as the coming tower of man-of-
war But Olasl Ae has come To grief.
has been captured. hauled upon the beach
ut Acajutla San Salvador, and chopped
IN Il thousand pieces by the natives OF
that Southern burg, 50 says II sailor who
was once employed on the schooner Ful-
con, which Is engaged in the Central
Americas trade.
Joe's history Is as full of adventures
rs his body was full Of bullets, and Il
Is said that upon more than one Occn-
sion the president Of Guatemala has de-
tailed a special writer for the purpose Of
getting the accurate story OF how the great
mau-oat0r lived at the expense OF the
census bureau
One day when an unsuspectirg captain
In the San Slyadoran army was gazing
over the long wharf at Acajutlu lac lost
his balance and fell into the sea lie
struck out boldly for the pier, but San
Jose Joe was too quick for him. There
was u turmoil of water, the vision of
screaming, kicking man, and the poor
captain disappeared I'm blOtCh Of blood
which covered the spot whore he had
fell
For this crime Joe was sentenced to
death by the commander of the port,
who ordered u file OF soldiers into a
launch and went cunning after the mon
ster.
Joe only showed himself but once TO his
foes, aud then only waited long enough
10 receive a volley of bullets from his
pursuers, which did not in the least appear
70 disturb him. He simply gave n whisk
of his tail aud did not visit Acajutla
again for Two months.
One night Il nate on board the Pacific
Mail steamer StUrbuck, which was an
Chored az San Jose de Guatemala saw
Joe sporting around the stern OF the
vessel H. search OF q victim The mate
secured q few bits Of pork and a Win
chester rifle, threw the pork In the water
and amused himself 10y planting bullets
IN the shark whenever Il would show
itself near the surface, But lead did
not hurt Joe; IN fact he seemed 10 rather
enjoy the sport. He swan lazily about
the Smrhuck until morning. and then
distinguished himself by deYOurlug "A ma
tive. who had yentured in TO swim near
the wharf
Joe always appeared when least e1.
pected Sometimes he would STAY away
tANih ~ HNiA lhl ilhNiNns NhhlNE MS pres
ence suddenly known by gobbling up an
uuwary inhabitant
The crew Of the Falcon nearly cap-
tured the monster one time IL wa M
Champerico Mate Drummer lowered
the schooner's boat and manned Il with
four sturdy o0rsmen. Drummer welded
q harpoon and succeeded in planting n
hrmly In the big hsh's back. Then car,e
2 moment of anxious silence, followed
by the hum of the harpoOn line as IL nm
cohed over the bow Of the boat. Tho line
was caught and fastened, and In a twink
Ing the little fabric was spinning through
the water at the rate OF twelve KNOTS
an hour The boats crew were hDnled
three miles 20 sea, were finally obligad
TO cut the barpOon line and return emnty
handed imply
The capture Of the shark was finally
effected az Acajutla by some larncbmen
who succeeded In harpooning him mud
setung the harpOon line ashore Toe
was hauled high and dry and In a few
seconds was minus his tail and mn ~
his teeth, the latter being highly nrige5
as relies by the Aciutlans. and consid
ers1 TO be mascots Of the first water
Inc shark measured TWENTY-FIVE feet
~ length aud must have been very ol1
tbs teeth were worn aud broken ana bis
nod{ incruSted with bamacles.
All Central America Is hanpy oVer .h.
eapsnre'--San Franciso Call