The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-01
DRY LAND CRUISE OF AN EEL.
LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
GLOISTEIN FISHING CLUR.
Johnny. the Essex Market JanItOr, Captures
Fish Dinncr In a COa nag Prisoner
Sees snakes In Ills Cell and Essex street
Is CONFUSED Plumber TO Blame.

Sees snakes In Ills Cell and Essex street
Is CONFUSED Plumber TO Blame.
A three foot eel broke the monotony
Of life in the Essex Market court prison
yesterday afternoon n reused Essex street
to a pitch unusual even in that frenzied
neighborhood. The trouble began when
the prison keepers discovered that the
water had been suddenly cut OF. Head
Keeper Michael Whalen sent FOR a plumber.
who came with a huge kit of tools. The
hammering which followed interrupted
court proceedings and caused the court
officers to rush to the door,.
ITS all right" shouted Whalen from
the prison. Its the plumberl"
The man with the hammer did some
more pounding and finally located the
block up near the roof. Whalen took a
hand in the cropping and stuck his arm into
the unjOinted pipe. He was seen to shudder
pull, and something long and black and
| shiny emerged from the pipe. A moist
fash through the air and a loud thump fol-
lowed as the eel esca ped his captor and
struck the floor.
Whalen came down from the ladder and
shouted for help. Assistant Janitor Johnny
Feikner ran in. followed by half n dozen
TRUSTEES. The eel lodged them all slipped
along the corridor, and Slid into a cell.
-Snakesl snakes" came a piercing cry
from the shadowy interior of the cell, A
drunk and disc orderly had been sleeping
| off a Jag when he felt a cold, damp streak
wriggle across his face. 1t took Whalen
and his associates a few minutes To quiet
the crazed man.
The tip of the cells tail was disappea ring
down stairs when the chase was taken up
again. Johnny, the ~janitor, jumped the
last FIVE steps and fell on his knees, with
his hands clutching at the floor, a few iu-
ches behind the slippery thing. 1t wrig-
gled over the area pavement and into the
basement of the court house. Pete, the
kitten, was sitting by the stove peacefully
licking his paws. A swish of the long
snakelike tail and Pete was rolling owe
and over on the floor. The kitten beat II
for the other side Of the room. where he
| raised his back, spat a little and decided
20 show a front. A trusty made a pass at
the place where the eel had been, but the
fish was already twisting his way back TO
the area. Frank, the court shoe sinner,
shouted:
Il getta da fire engine and started for
the alarm box, but somebody caught his
collar and held him.
Half the court denizens we're now on
the rainy area pavement, hopping about
on their hands and knees. The area ism
large, and it looked like a quick ending
when the eel squirmed around them all
and shot out under the gate into Essex
street.
The gate was quickly unlocked and the
pursuit continued. A few feet from the
steps Of the court house the rain was col
Letting in a miniature lake. The eel made
for this as a refuge,
The news Of its presence spread rapidly
through the street. and men, women and
children came running with bags, baskets
and fishing tackle. Rosey the Lawyer was
standing on he court house steps, holding
ups a large family umbrella to keep the
rain from his new fall suit. Casting aside
the umbrella he ran Town the steps.
Telephone for Gloistein,' he cried TO
the Duke Of Essex street, who was stand
ing az his side. tell him the aquarium
has broke loose and that the street is full
of fish. Tell him TO get the Gloistein
Fishing Club together and come down"
Several boys who had braved the rain
to play craps in the alley at the side CT the
court now took a hand in the fishing and
the famous club stood no show OF reaching
Essex street on time. The youngsters
drove the eel from the pool and he darted
of toward Broome street. The crowd
followed, the boys in the lead.
Johnny, the ~janitor. had not abandoned
the pursuit, however. He ran in ahead
Of everybody with a discarded coal sack
In his hands. just as the eel was heading
him and held him tight with both knees
while he crowded him into the sack. Johnny
stood up with look of victory.
Say, do you love dis old mani" he asked
everybody. NO German fish can get
away from me. Wy, l remember
Say, on de level, ] guess ! ANT a charter
porated, whatP Ne family feeds ON fish
tonight, anyway, an dat's no campaign
talk"