The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-09-18
eoeseo BY A SHARK
The Robber Caught In the Act with
Chicken Feathers between His Teeth.

Cb,clen Feathers between His Teeth.
II Ia not often that a shark breaks
INTO a mans henroost and steals his
.hlckens. Such a case, however, is on
-ecord at Pointe-a-la-Hachc. Emmet
Hinge told the story as he showed
visitor around his fathers back yard.
which was full of lively and intelligent
young chickens. Mr.. Hlngle has only
had a few years experience rs a law
yer. His veracity is therefore unques-
toned. He introduces the matter by
remarking:
1--WE lost great number of our
chickens last year by shark"
white or colored?" asked the visitor
incrcdulously.
"A shark. mara shark from the
Gul--eight feet long
"Did he walk all the distance or
con,a in a fish carr
THE affair is not as impossible as
you are inclined to believe" remarked
Mr.. Hlngle In an aggreived tone. You
notice the levee in front Of the house.
Wen. each year during the equinoctial
season, strong southeast wind blows
the waters of the Gulf into Pointe-a-la-
Hache and floods the town. The water
is three or four feet deep. We have to
go in skiffs from the front of the house
to the levee. Last year, as usual. when
the floods commenced, we drove all our
chickens into the big henhouse. Nat
urally, when the flood became deep
they could not come down TO eat. In
order to feed them we rugged up Il rope
parallel to each roost, and slowly
pulled a basket of corn from one end
to the other. In this way the chickens
had to eat standing up
"T did not know that chickens ever
ate sitting down or in reclining posi-
ton" interjected the visitor. How
ever. that may have been their custom
during the days of the Romans"
1T was only method of expression" p"
continued Mr. Hingle. II meant that
the chickens stood on the roost and ate
the corn as It passed before them in the
basket. Well, we had been feeding
them in this way for few days when
we noticed that they had begun to dl-
mnish in number We then began to
count each morning. and found that
four or five disappeared each night.
We finally decided to watch. ] rugged
myself up q platform in the chicken
house and went out to spend the night.
From 10 o'clock until nothing hap
pened. and l was becoming pretty well
tired, thinking probably that the negro
who had been robbing our henroost
| had seen me and would not make an
other attempt while l was there. As
| the gray light began to dawn, how
| ever, heard a series of splashes, and
| looking toward the rear l saw large
shark jumping the fences as If they
had been hurdles. Naturally ] was
very much surprised. When the shark
had jumped orr fence he disappeared
under the water. l was looking all
around for him when heard a noise in
! the henhouse. and looking down l saw
/ the shark. He had come in by diving
through the large hole through which
our chickens had gone into the yard
when they awoke in the morning. You
may imagine my CONSERVATION. / was
alone in n henhouse with n chicken
eating shark, and had no adequate as
surance that he was not also a mar
eater. The shark did not wait for al
introduction, balancing himself upoi
his tail. he grabbed a chicken from tn
roost and swallowed it whole. He re
peated the feat until he had eaten six
and then, diving through the hole, wcnt
leaping over the fences again. evidently
very much pleased. He had failed t.
see me, otherwise he might have bitter
me in the leg.
well, to make long story short,
continued Mr.. Hingle. I'VE waited fol
him next morning and stopped the hole
after he had entered. We then killed
him with rife"
Taking the visitor to the rear gallery
Mr.. Hingle showed the jawbone ant
teeth of the shark. In the teeth were
number of chicken feathers.
1--WE managed to kill him before b.
had time to pick his teeth" remarke,
Mr. Hingle modcstly. New Orlear
Times-Democrat.