The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-04
SAW A LIZARD CAT.
German Seamen Tell of Encounter
 With Hideous Monster.

From the New York Evening Telegram.
 When Chief Engineer Tunnell of the German fruit steamship Bradford, step- ped ashore today at the banana docks he tried to hide himself among the freight cases and huge punches of fruit The Bradford Hunting club the social organ ization on board the trim coastwise steamer, was still in session, but MT. Tunnell had deserted 1t before adjourn inent.
 T was afraid to begin the story of our adventures on this voyage" said the chief We have had many strange adventures, but those that we met dur ing our last visit to Montego bay capped the climax. Being afraid that what we would say would be beyond belief I thought I would escape the narration of the story this time.
 We landed in Montego bay on a Fri day morning and the skipper. Captain Thomsen, Mrs. Thomsen, Mrs. Tunnell and l went on our regular exploring tour of the vicinity. We went along shore while the tide was low, gathering curious shells and starfish on the rocky declivties. The Bradford was to remain in the harbor two days, we thought we'd make extended trip and see if we could not discover something unusual. It was not long before we did.
 ''The two women were preceding us by a dozen yards when Mrs. Thomsen gave a little scream and said she saw strange animal on the shore ahead of us, which the ladies were afraid to pass It looked like a cross between a eat and a lizard and had tremendous long legs like huge grasshopper.
 Captain Thomsen and I threw small stones and shells at the strange creaturs with the idea of soaring him, or her, or it away. She, or he, or it would not be scared away, however, and we held pf as to hat " best do.
 q am not believer in sea serpents. but this thing looked as if It might be miniature sea monster that had been cast ashore at high water and left there by the receding tide.
 "We finally decided that we simply had to pass the creature, whatever 1t was, so Captain Thomsen and I took the lead, with the women following. When Captain Thomsen and 1 got close to the animal we looked it over. It's coat was Of a maltese hue and it's head looked just like that of cat. From the neck aft it looked like a lizard of the salamander variety, and while its front legs were like those of cat. being hairy and very short, US hind legs were at least three times as long and wrinkled like those of big lizard. It's eyes were glassy and express sionless and close examination seemed to show there was no life in it.
 "As neither Captain Thomsen nor had a stick with us the skipper decided that we'd pass by and leave the creature alone. As the skipper stepped forward, however. he loosened a stone and the stone rolled against the strange monster In a twinkling, without uttering a sound, it disappeared, going up a perpendicular cliff as smooth as glass without the slightest effort.
 If I had been alone and had reported my discovery, not a soul would nave believed me. But here are four or us who saw it, and you can join the women on the bridge deck and ask them about 1t if you like'
 Frau Thomsen, sitting in hammock that was stretched from the captains quarters to the port rail, smiled when she was asked about the incident.
 We have had so many strange tnings happen to us on our visits to Monteso bay" said the captains wife, that am afraid we are beginning to see things Yes. l certainly saw MT. Tunnelrs mon ster. None of us know what 1t was. | thought it was dead when 1t suddenly leaped into the air. and quicker than lt takes to say Bradford it had gone up the smooth side of the cliff l have been nervous ever since