The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-11-17
A MAN 4. EATER.
A Mans Head and Two Sailors
Hats Found in

A SHARKS STOMACH.
How the Horrible Evidence Shocked thc
Grew and Passengers Of an Ocean
Liner When the Shark that
Followed the Ship Was
Captured.
Do sharks thirst for human blood
aud thus deserve the name Of "man.
CATERS" All who know the sea, from
books or from experience, are familiar
with this indictment against the
most savage and rapacious of the
oceans creatures that when be has
orce tasted human flesh no other
food satisfies him, and that he will
follow ships day after day, growing
loan In the chase, with his little gray
eyes glued on the moving figures on
their decks.
Lately there has been the most
CHASTITY demonstration Of the truth of
this charge that can be conceived.
The man eating shark which gave
this horrible testimony against him
self suffered capital punisbmc cnt for
his crimes, while giving the Grew and
passengers Of the p. and O. liner
Syria 81 cl shock that they went
ab ut pale and trembling for hours
afterwaTd.
This man eater had followed the
Syria hundred OF miles in the Indian
Ocean, into the Red Sea and to Surz
where he was recognized as an old
ffei dor. When shark is see fol.
lowing a ship tirelessly day after day
dhis, as all sailors know, means that
he has acquired a taste for human
IL sh. which ts TO enslave him thTouK.
out the remainder Of his career-he
is man. eater" All other food
pals on his palate.
While the ship was anchored at
Suez the man. eater prowed about
her constantly, his sharp fin cutting
the Isu face Of the harbor and his
head lifted now aud then for sight
of the prey he SO coveted.
Seafaring mon about the docks
we're sure they recognized him as the
same shark that bad followed many
another vessel from the Indian Ooean
through the Rcd Sea. They charged
" him more than one sailor snap
+ from rudder chains, or, having
n overheard, seized before a boat
d reach him.
.embess Of the crew OF the Syria
s,,afeo this belief. The passengers
heard the stories and shuddered as
they watched the man eater Gircling
oungrily about the ship. THEY re
mambered how he had not I6t the
Tnip out Of his sight for many days
Now they were eager for his capture
and just punishment.
the oilicers gave the crew per-
mission to bait hook for the mon
ster They were not enthusiastic
about the result, for man eating
sharks are nearly always Scornful of
other than the living food they most
crave. But the passengers were Gag.
er for the attempt.
Soa group Of sailors prepared a
strong line armed with hook nearly
: foot across from barbed point to
shank, baited it tcmptingly with a
whole leg of fresh pork and heaved
the morsel cut IN front OF the man.
eaters nose as he rose to again inspect
The prey he coveted
Possible the say So monster imag
ined thaG one OF Lhe sailors handling
the line had fallen overheard and
made that splash. AT any rate lie
Gnrned In q flash, showing his yello w
white belly, and with a snap tAa5
could be heard on deck, c'osed his
jaws on tie baited hook.
With a prompt heave on the line,
0Ge sailors pulled the sharp point OF
the hook through the creatures under
jaW--and then rare sport began. The
surprises and angared man eater laBh.
cd himself about frantically, but with
q blight OF the line about @ stout
atanchion his cap5ors hauled away
until the creatures nose bumped
against the ships side and then rails.
ID It's head enough to enable q boats
crew to slip The moose Of cable over
It's head and tighten it just back OF
the front dns.
By thia moaps, while the passengers
crowded up to the rail, the man. eater
with all the fight choked out of him,
was raised up to the level OF the main
deck In this position he was photo.
graphed from the deck OF a neighbor.
| ing ship.
AT it's greatest girth the man eater
had tho circumference ef large
| horse. It's stomach seemed much
distcnded "a fact that had not been
noticed while 1T swan about tt ship.
Tne sailors whispered among them.
selves, shaking their heads ominously;
but the passengers thought of moth.
Ing but the pleasure Of witnessing the
ccoan assassins execution. They did
not know OF the sailors's suspicious
| that the man eater had not gone hun.
cry during all the days that he had
been following the Syria, that no food
taken merely to stay the pangs OF
hunger would have so distended It's
stomach.
But sailors arc not squeamish, even
when harborlng such grewsome sus-
picons as these. First they killed
the monster by smashing his skull
Then they lowered the carcass to the
deck, While the passengers huddlcd
back In fright, and oceof them, with
| IA fn ,at. - ~