Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-31
SEA SERPENT IS DEAD.
He Met Disaster After a Most
 Brilliant Season.
RAN ASHORE IN THE EAST RIVER.
fhe Terror of Long Island Sound Igno- nniniousiy Glabbed to Death by Black wells Island Prison Keepers While Stranded en s Reef

niniously Clubbed to Death by Black
 wells Island Prison Keepers While
 Stranded on a Reef
 NEW YORK, July 31.-The night watch on Blackwell's island turned out last even ing, and, according to their account, cap tured sea serpent after a hard battle: He was sailing through the East river, evidently making q short cut from Long Island sound, where he has been playing to crowded houses at the New Jersey coast resorts, which he was to take in as part of his summer circuit. Owing no doubt to his attention being distracted by the many odd sights and sounds in the river, he allowed himself to run aground. Then the guards at Blaekwell's island attacked him and dragged him ashore.
 A great difference of opinion exists as to the circumstances of the capture. But the one grand fact remains that the sea serpent, or one of him, is caught-that is; if the opinion of the medical staff on Blackwell's island is final as to sea ser pents. Dr. George T. Stewart, chief of staff of the Metropolitan hospital on the island, made the following important statement last night: "Of course, con vincing proof as to the identity of the beast can only be had by a careful autop- sy, but have little doubt that it is gen
  enough sea serpent for me-"
 It may be remarked that a sea serpent that proves satisfactory to men of science like Dr. Stewart should not be caviled at by the general public or by any unauthor- iZed layman.
 His Beard Bloody; His Hair on End.
 The great debate among the residents of the island is is to whether the sea ser pent was alive when he was discovered. Some of those who arrived early on the scene say that he fought desperately for his life and had to be subdued with night sticks. Other experts say that he had been dead at least a week, and supported their claim with their noses, but those who ask credit for catching the animal say that sea serpents always have a strong fishlike odor even when alive.
 The Blackwell's island sea serpent is 25 feet long and has a short head and short tail. His captors saw very little difference between his shape and that of an ordinary rattlesnnke. He has large, sharp teeth, they assert, and with these he made vior lent attempts to bite them
 The sea serpent betrayed his presence to one of the island guards so they say, by his cries of distress when he found him. self aground. At first he tried to climb off the reef, but finding this impossible
  who found him said that the cry sounded like one of pain from n big dog. He thought at once that a prisoner had been injured in making his escape and was helpless.
 Then he went down to the waters edge and to his horror he saw the green, slimy eyes of the awful creature looking into his with rage and hate.
 Was the Critter Alive?
 "He was snapping his teeth and foam ing at the mouth, said the keeper His beard was covered with blood, and his hair was standing on end. didn't dare to go near him till had summoned some other men. We attacked him in a body, and he died almost without a struggle. So s0oh did his death occur that some of the men who were jealous of our bravery say that he was dead when we tackled him. But that's all nonsense. He was terribly alive, and hungry, too, 1 should judge, by the way in which he snapped at us" Before the body was turned over some of the keepers thought that he had four feet. This could not be so, however. If he had legs, he would have walked out into deep water when he got stranded. Whether this is the same sea serpent that has been seen so often in the sound lately is not now plain. It is generally be- AASNSN ny SC8 pSLlO NrNpSIOo llIehO O1iSAS must be school of the monsters in the sound, as so many have been seen. Of course no one can tell positively where this creature stranded on Black wells island came from. Perhaps there is in truth school of them in the sound and the waters about New York city. Here is a description which one of the staff doctors gave of the odd monster: 'The animal stretched out on the grass was fully 25 feet long and had very much the appearance of a land snake. He had l an enormous head and vicious mouth, | with two rows of teeth i'll each jaw. The body was largest in the middle, tapering | to either end and covered with mottled black and brown scales. It was at least a | foot thick at the largest part, and at two 1 points between the head and tail there were queer fnlike protuberances that i gave the beast q real sea serpent appear | anCe. The eyes were large and brown and the head over the eyes was divided into 1 two bony hillocks.
 When drawn out of the water, there was thick rope about three feet long, | shredded at the ends and adjusted in a slip moose, just back of the monsters head. l It looked as if tho beast had been caught in this moose, but had bitten the rope holding it and then slowly strangled te | death.''
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