Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-08-13

tlcy could gam n 1OOttnp.
On one of these occasions the 70.
dents, not finding enough food Oh Nc
Swecney's person to satisfy their ap-
pctitcs, dcv0nred the entire back of
his coat collar ami the back of his
coat before he knew what they were
doing
After while tho rats became so
fond Of their bencfactOr that there was
scarcely an hour in the day that there
were not at least II dozen Of his
strange pets crawling around on Nc
Swcency's lap or perched somewhere
on his body. All he had to do was to
give vent to Il sipcculiar whistle and
the whole army of them would rush
from their hiding places und literally
cover him by swarming over his Indy.
McSwccncy kept OH feeding and
playing with his pets in this manner
for over four years, and only closed
his intimate relations with the rodents
when the prison authorities, Il few
months ago, changed his employment
from running the pump to working
around The corridors in the cast wing
of the prison.
Although his present employment is
much more conKenial and he has tho
society of several other convicts, Nc
Sweeney says he hates to leave the
pump solely because IL hurts him to
part company with his pet rats.
MANY time" said McSwccney.
81 have had the rats so thick about
me that when got up from my chair
to walk away l would he obliged to
shove them out of the way with my
foot in order to find space to walk
without stepping OH them. | would
always have To cal my meals standing
up with MY plate i'll my hand for if
put the plate down anywhere the rats
would take it away from me before
could cat It,"
The other prisoner who has made
strange pets is Pat Moran, sentenced
TO life Imprisonment for n double muir
der in Cleveland in 1894. For several
years Moran has been employed as n
clerk in the Deputy Warden's office.
ITe is allowed many special privileges.
which include permission to go any
where he likes within the prison
grounds.
few years ago, while OH their way
to the prison one morning, Il couple
of guards came across an alligator.
about four feet long. lying in the
street. IL was aftcrward learned that
the gator" had escaped from it's
owner, a nearby saloon keeper. during
the night
The guards, not knowing at the
time where ii belonged, procured
barrel into which they put the gator
and took him to the prison. where they
dumped him i'll the basin of the large
fountain in the inner yard. The ALI
gator seemed To be so greatly pleased
with his new quarters that when his
owner shortly aftcrward learned
where his lost pet was, he decided to
let him stay there.
Moran used to sit near the edge of
the fountain and watch the alligator
with interest. He began to feed it
and soon had the ugly brute so tame
that il would swim up to where he
stood and would take food out of his
hand. The beast also grew so tame
That it would Chamber out of the water,
and in response TO Moran's call it
would follow him all over the lawn.
a couple Of years ago resident OF
Columbus had three alligators sent
to him from the South. The largest
was about five and one-half feet long
and the smallest four feet in length
When they arrived they appeared TO
be so wild and vicious that the man to
whom they were shipped was afraid to
unpack them from their crate.
He had previously heard of how
Moran had tanned tho alligator at the
penitcniary, and he asked him by
phone if he would accept his allign-
tors as u gift and care for them. Mo-
ran gladly accepted tho offer, and the
three alligators were cartel tn the
prison and dumped into the fountain
basin. They were wild at first. but
by pursuing The same tactics with
them that he did with the first gator
anti feeding them every day he finally
got them as tame as the other one.
Moran often astonishcs visitors to
the prison in summer by calling one of
the big, ugly brlitcs. and when it
crawls over the grass to where he is
sitting he will take il mp in his lap and
stroke its back and head. fondling 1t
as one would pet dog In winter the
alligators are kept in n large tank
filled with water in the basement of
the chapel. Pat feeds them every day
and has sole charge of them
Moran Is also n great lover Of dogs
and birds, and has raised several pets
OF both species during his confinement.
He has two fine bull terriers, which
he breeds and gives the puppies away
TO his friends.
short time ago he had flock of
fine homing pigeons, of which he was
Justly proud. A year ago he sent two
Of the pigeons to Louisville, Ky, by a
Continued on sixth page.)