New-York tribune., 1907-08-18
SHOOTING .ALLIG1TORS.
Fauonte Diversion of Magistrate
COrrgdn.

Joseph E Corrgan, who was recently appointed
a city magistrate. is probably the only magistrate
IN New York who is experienced alligator
hunter. Although fond of sports of all kinds he
has had more practice in hunting the alligator.
the most dangerous of all varieties of aquatic game
than In any other sport. and in this perous one he
takes the greatest amount of pleasure
Magistrate CorriGan first felt the exhilaratinS
excitement of this dangerous diversion the lakes
OF Florida in the summer of lss4 For the three
years following he managed large tobacco planta-
tion in that state. and almost every night. after
the heat of the day had passed. he indulged him
self in pursuing the sauran, and many specimens
testify 10 his
AIligators IN lakes Of Southern
Florida. growing large the crOcodiles Of far
Southern waters The alligator has two ways OF
waeing against his enemies With his power
ful tail he strike sledge hammer blows. blows
strong enough to crush TO pieces an ordinary row
boat and between his massive jaws he easily
crush the life out OF human being.
In hunting the alligator Magistrate Corrigan al
ways carries a high power rifle OF large calore-
The hunting is done on dark nights in rowbOats
The hunter Crouches In the PROV Of the boat, rife
in hand. Amdshps sits the rover. and in the
a third equipped with bulls-eye Ian
tern At night the alligator lies close to the
face of the water and his eyes CLEAN like Goals Of
fire. For this reason they are easily discernible
by the huntsman, but the glow Of the eyes is
deceptive. and the hunter finds it hard 10 tell
whether his prey Is fifty fifteen feet away.
Because OF this deceptiveness many hunter has
lost his quarry. firing when he was at a greater
distance than he supposed II is for this reason.
among others. that lantern is carried. IL is
flashed for a second to enable the hunter to know
just how far away the reptile is Having
tained this. the huntsman is rowed rapidly toward
the saurian. At distance of fifteen feet the boat
is stopped The man In the bow takes steady aim
at some vital spot and fires. The alligator never
attacks at night until he has been attacked or
unlesss the boat should be rOwed close to him.
If the aim is good and the bullet strikes the
alligator in some vital spot. he over. and
death is almost instantaneous. II Is after the
shot has been fred that the most dangerous part
OF the work comes. for the boat is a once rowed
fairly alongside the reptile and the hunter must
reach out and grab him by of his fippers
while another man slips noosed rope under him.
II he wishes 70 secure his game. for once killed
the alligator sinks with great rapidity
II was due TO Magistrate Corrigan's anxiety TO
ger an especially large alligator that he nearly lost
his life in the summer of 1855 Going out on one
of his customary hunts. he shot an unusually big
saurian. The enormous reptile almost Immediately
turned belly upward II thought / had struck
him In a vital spot said the magistrate when ne
told his adventure, $50 had the rowed along
side him and. reaching over. 1 seized his fiipper
always disagreeable job. while John, the negro
who was rowing me. slipped a rope under him.