The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-15
4 MAN EATER.
A Mans Head and Two Sailors
Hats Found in
A SHARKS STOMACH.
How the Horrible Evidence Shocked the
Crew and Passengers Of an Ocean
Liner When the Shark that
Followed the Ship Was
Captured.

aud thus deserve the name of man.
eaters" All who know the sea, from
books or from experience, are familiar
with this Indictment against the
most savage and rapacious Of the
oceans creztures-that when be has
orce tasted human flesh no other
food satisfies him, and that be will
follow ships day after day, growing
lean in the chase, with bis 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 ho-ri ole testimony against him
self suffered capital punishment for
his crimes, while giving the crew and
passengers of the 2. and O.. liner
Syria slcl a shock that they went
ab ut pale and trembling for hours
afterWaid.
This man eater had followed the
Syria hundred Of miles in the Indian
Ocean, inao the R,d Sea and to Su1z.
where he was recognized as an old
1f1e: d5r. When shark Is see fol.
lowing a ship tirelessly day after day,
this, Is al sailors know, means that
he has acquired taste for human
fish, which is to enslsve him throug
out the remainder OF his career-he
Is man. eater" All other food
pals on his palate.
While the ship was anchored at
Sutz the man eater proWled about
ner constantly, his sharp fin cutting
the :su face Of the harbor and his
head lifted now and then for a sight
If the prey ne so coveted.
Seafaring men about the decks
we're sure they recognized him as the
same shark tnat had followed many
another vessel from the Indian Osean
through the Rsd Sea. Tney charged
up to him more than one sailor snap
ped from rudasr chains, or, having
talien overheard, seized before boat
could reach him.
Menb2ss Of the crew Of the Syria
shared this belief. The passengers
heard the stories and shuddered as
they watched tie man-ester circ.ing
nungrily about the ship. They re
membered how he had rot let the
ship out OF his sight for many days
n oW they were eager for his capture
and just punishment.
s. the vftcarS gave the crew per-
mission to Gait hook for the mon
suer. They we're 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.
So a group Of sailors prepared a
strong line armed with hook nearly
a foot sccoss from barbed point to
shank, b2ited it temptingly with a
ahole leg OF fresh pork and heaVed
the norsel cut in front OF the man
eaters nose as be rose to again inspect
the prey be coveted.
Possible the savage monster imag
ined that one Of tne sailors handling
the line had fallen overheard and
made that splash. At any rate he
5uraed in fash, showing his yellow
White belly, and with a snap that
could be heard on deck, c'osed his
Jaws on tnc baited hook.
With ompt heaVe on the line,
TIE sailo4 pulled the sharp point OF
the hook through the creatures under
jaw-and then rare sport began. Tne
surprised and ar gsred man eater lash.
cd himself ABOUT franticaily, but with
blight Of the line about a stout
stanchion his cap.ors hauled away
until the creatures nose bumped
against the ships side and then rais'
I'd its head enough to enable 8 boats
crew to slip the moose Of a cable over
it's head and tighten it just back OF
the front fms.
BS this means, while tie passengers
crowded up to the rail, the man-eate1
With all the fight CHECKED out Of him,
| aas raised up to the level CT the main
deck In this position be was photo
graphed from the deck Of nsighbor-
ing ship.
At it's greatest girth the an-eater
had the circumference ef 2 large
horse. Its stomach seemed much
distended "a fact that had not been
noticed while it swan about the ship.
The sailors whispered among them
selves, shaking Their heads omlnou5ly;
but the passengers thought OF moth
ing but tie pleasure OF witnessing the
ccean assassin's execution, They did
not know of the sailorSs suspicious
that the man. eater had not gone hun.
cry during all the days that be had
been following the Syria, that no food
taken merely to stay the pangs OF
hunger would have so distended its
stomach.
But sailors are not squeamish, even
when harboring such grewSome sus-
Dicions as these. First they killed
the monster by smashing his skull.
Then they lowered the carcass to the
deck, while tie passengers huddled
back il fright, and oneof them, with