The morning call., 1893-01-16
Juan, the RatCatCher.
NUMBER ELEVEN.

That's an even Dozen" yelled the men
in cell of the City Prison yesterday after
noon, as Juan Roierigues, one of the pris-
oners in the cell, held for petty larceny.
stuck his arm through the bars and held
between his fingers a choking. sQuealing.
squirmlug rat as large as kitten.
R0derigues is a ratcatcher par excellence
and he had caught no less than a round
dozen big rodents in the cell during the fore
noon.
His manner Of catching rats is one Pc
culiar to himself and decidedly novel. be-
sides having the merit of being a decided
success.
Over a hole in the cell floor through
which the rats come up from their holes at
meal lime and fight with the prisoners for
their dinner, Roderigues spread a piece Of
blanket, and under this he put a small slice
of fried ham specially prepared by the cook
for the purpOse-lOr be 1t known that in
mates of the City Prison are not fed on ham,
but on stew, made, the older prisoners say,
from ancient beef Of the male persuasion
when alive
The rats, attracted by the smell of the
ham. cTaw ed out of their holes and under
the blanket TO get at the sayoTy bait, and
then Roderigues would pounce upon them
and, graspiug the rodent through the blan-
ket, lift il squealing and fighting from the
floor.
TO uncover the captive and cautiously
catch it by the back OF the meek between
the thumb ard forefuger was the next step,
and then the Mexican, for that is the rat
catcheT's nationality, would slowly strangle
his victim and toss its body into the CORR
dor.
Not only did Roderigues enjoy the fun
but he furnished amusement 10 his cell
mates and outsiders.
Had he Caught hundred dozen rats he
would have only begun the Work Of Riding
the City Prison Of that species of yerinin.
Nothing short Of the Pied Piper of Hame-
lin could do anything toward freeing the
prison OF these pests, and one can Imagine
how pleasant il must be to lie on the hard
floor Of a cell with his arm for pillow
and have his ftful sumber broken by q
half dozen rats running gO-aS-yOu- please
race over his body from his heels to his
head.
Some of the prisoners allege that tie rats
have even gone 10 the extent of eating the
shoes off The feet OF a sleepy drunk, but the
story lacks confederation. g
Over in the 'bird-cage," as that part of the
City Prison IS called " here women detained
upon any mlsdemeanOr charge except
drunkenness are confined, Ii Is not uacOm-
mon to have the inmates startle the prison.
| keepers and police at any time of day or
night by series OF snriekS an0 to find them
| huddled up on benches holding their skirts
close around their feet, while big gray IA.
calmly surveys them from the center Of the
cell floor, as If wondering what he had done
to cause such commotion.
R0deTlgueS promises to catch three rats at
once If he can get that number under the
blanket al one time.
That is the record OF the old Frenchman
who some years ago amused the police with
his deXterty as a rateatcher, but he had
fuli0Wed il for a business in thA old country
for years, and knew as much about rats as
the average trainer does about horse.
Since the old Frenchman's time there has
been no phenomenal ratcatchiEg until now,
and R0derigues is burning with zeal to beat
the record. Z. B. HARToN.