The morning call., 1893-03-31
TALE OF A SHARK.
"San Jose Joe" Man-Eater
:. Captured.
He Was Big Fish, and Caused Much
Trouble in South American
Waters.

''San Jose Joe" was the name OF q twenty
five-foot shark which has done more toward
reducing the population Of the Central
Americas than revolutions.
Joe was known in every port from Cham
perico to Papama, and as early as 1854
evinced an appetite for human flesh.
Joe has been proof against The tricks of
wOuld-be ca Dturers, and was as bullet-proof
as the coming tower of man-of-war. But
alas he has come to grief. has been cap
tured. hauled upon the beach at Acatutla,
San Salvador, and chopped into a thousand
pieces by the relentless natives of that
southern burg, so says sailor who was once
employed on the schooner Falcon, which is
engaged in the Central American trade
Joe's history Is MS full of adventure as his
body was full Of bullets. and 1t is said that
upon more than one occasion the President
of Guatemala has detailed a special writer
for the purpose of getting the accurate
story of how the great man-eater lived at
the expense of the census bureau.
One day when an unsuspecting captain in
the San SalvadOran army was gazing over
the long wharf at Acajutla be lost his bal
auee and fell into the sea. he struck out
boldly for the pier, but San Jose Joe was
700 quick for him. There was turmoil of
water, the vision of a screaming, kicking
man. ana the Door Ca plain disappeared in a
DlOtcD oil DlOOQ which covered the SDOt
where he had fell.
For this crime Joe was sentenced to
death by the commander of the port, who
ordered file of soldiers into a launch and
went cunning after the monster.
Joe only showed himself but once to his
foes. and then only waited long enough to
receive a voley of bullets from his pur-
suers, which did not in the least appear to
disturb him. lie simply gave a whisk of
his tail, and did not visit Acajutla again for
two months.
One night mate on board the Pacific
Mail steamer Starbuck. which was anchored
at San Jose de Guatemala, saw Joe sport
ing around the stern of the vessel in search
of victim. The mate secured few bits
of pork and Winchester rife, threw the
pork in the water and amused himself by
planting bullets in the shark whenever il
would show itself near the SUI face. But
lead did not hurt Joe; in fact he seemed 10
rather enjoy the spout He swan laZily
about the Starbnck until morning, and then
distin guished himself by deY0uring a native
who had YentuTed in TO swim near the
wharf.
Joe always appeared when least expected.
Some times he would stay away from port
for months, making his presence suddenly
known by gobblinS up an unwary inhabl-
tant.
The crew of the Falcon nearly captured
the monster one time. 1t was al Cham
rerico. Mate Drummer lowered the schoon-
ers boat and manned ii with four sturdy
oaIsmen. Drummer welded harpoon and
succeeded in planting it firmly in the big
tlSh's back. Then came moment of
anxious silence. followed by the hum of the
harpoon line as it uucOiled over the bow of
the boat. The line was caught and fastened,
and n q twinkling the little fabric was
spinning through the water at the rate Of
twelve knots an hour The boats crew
were hauled three miles to sea, were finally
Obliged to cut the harpoon line and return
empty-handed.
The capture OF the shark was finally eff
fected al Aeajutla by some launchmen. who
succeeded in happening hiU and getting
the harpoOn line ashore. Joe was hauled
high and dry. and in few seconds was minus
his tail and all of his teeth. the latter being
highly prizsd as relics by the Acajutlans,
aud considered to be mascots of the first
wafer.
The shark measured twenty-five feet in
length and must have been very old. His
teeth were worn and broken and his body
incrnsted with barnacles.
a IL Central America is happy over the
caDiurp.