The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-09-23
WRESTLED WITH A PYTHON.
Keepers a, Bronx Park Had very
Lively Fight.

Out Of the New ! ofk ZooIos si0a1
park, in the Bronx, there came, 1hufs-
day night, says the New York Sun, a
tine story of {; fight with snakes.
ALTO o'clock THURSDAY morning, ac-
cordjns TO the keepers, Curator Ray
mond L. DitmarS set out to perform
an operation on the biggest of the py-
thons. The reptile weighs 240 pounds
and even when he isn't full Of snake
dinner, has rotundity Of some 80
inches. mostly muscle.
Some time ago-in fact several
years ago-the python developed an
abcess or sore Of some malignant sort.
in his mouth. In 1900 twelve men,
led by Mr.. DitnaFs, went into the
python's cage, and by main force held
aim until some solution calculated to
cure the sore had been applied. The
twelve men had comparatively easy
time Of it.
The other day it was noticed that
the python's sore mouth had been com
pletely cured, and it was determined
to perform another operation on the
big fellow. Mr. Ditmars came to the
conclusion that five men could handle
the tig fellow without trouble and de-
cided to limit BIS force to that num-
Der.
Mr.. Ditmars and his assistant, MI
nhael O'keefe, went into the curatOr'S
otfice to mix up solution they IN
tended to use. Meanwhile Head
Keeper Edward G. Snyder and his as
sistants George Mulvilhil and John
Tuomey, went into the reptile house
to get things ready.
At that time the big python and
three companions were coiled in a
souirming mass in one corner Of the
cage. Snyder according to the &C
count of the affair as given to the re-
porterS, opened the door of the cage
and went in with couple Of heavy
blankets, which he threw over the
snakes. Then he began to feel around
for the head Of the big python. He
finally found it and, turning upa lit
Tile corner sf the blankets, reached in
and got his hands upon the snakes
neck.
Then Mulvilhill and Tuomey
Jumped into the cage. They had two
things to do, to drag the big python
out and at the same time to keep the
other three from getting out to make
trouble. They soon had their hands
very full.
AS they related it, the three men
had to get the big python from under
the blanket, when the reptile wound
his tail around Snyder's legs, and be-
gan to squeeze as only good healty
python can. Mulvilhill and Tuomey
were attending to the three snakes
that were still under the blankets, but
they had to drop that to keep the big
python from getting his coil around
Snyder'S waist. In the wrestling one
Of the men accidentally kicked the
door of the cage shut.
The door is self-locking and couldn't
re opened from the inside. The men
began to shout for aid. There was
not soul in the reptile house and
the door of Mr.. Ditmars office was
closed and neither he nor Okeete
heard the shouts. One OF the men in
the cage reached into Snyder's pocket
in a lull in the fight and got Snyd, RS
emergency whistle. Blasts on that
Gid not bring any answer.
The curator and O'keefe finished
mixing up their snake medicine IN
time and came over to the reptile
house, several feet away When they
reached it the tight was at its best.
Ditmars and O'keefe jumped into the
Gaze and joined in.
The i've men soon had the big snake
subduei. Ditmars hit il On the head
and stunned it so that it was easy to
take it's coil of Snyder'S legs. Then
the other snakes being kept under the
blankets, the men hauled the big one
out Of the cage, head first.
The snake came out with such a
rush that it got away from its cap
tors and began to squlrm around on
the floor in lively shape. Snyder,
however, jumped on the snakes head,
put his coat over it and managed to
hold to the reptile until the other
men went to his assistance.
Then, when they had looked into
the snakes mouth, they decided that
his abcesS wasn't bad enough TO be
treated at once, anyway. So they put
him hack They had some trouble