The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-04-29
TRAPPING A GORILLA
Story of a Vicious Struggle In
the African Jungle.
hf!E7 THAT FAILED TO HOLD.

The Shared Monster Broke Through
Its Meshes and Was the Cause of
One Death Before He Was Himself
Killed by the Attacking Party.
Captain Fritz Duquesne, the Boer
ivory hunter. was commissioned by a
German naturalist society to capture
one of each species OF African quadru-
mana. He was entirely successful in
the work, except that he could obtain
no gorilla. Finally a pygmy pointed
out a portion Of the dank jungle in
which a gorilla had been seen.
The captain Immediately arranged
his camp and laid his plans and made
preparations to trap the monster and
get him alive if possible, though he
fully realized the danger of the under
taking.
"For four days." said the captain,
"we camped in this hotbed of disease.
Beaters went out in all directions
searching for the gorilla. At last some
deep. wide scratches were found on
cluster Of vines. On close examination
the unmistakable hair Of the gorilla
was found on a broken twig.
"After some hours we found the tree
where the gorilla lived. We could tell
it by the greasy appearance Of the
bark. made so by the repeated rubbing
Of the gorilla's body. We could tell by
the fresh marks, with sap still wet.
that the animal had recently ascended
the tree. The scratches were short
and deep, showing that 1t had lifted
itself up and had not slid down, which
would have made a long, shallow
scratch.
1--WE spread a strong net around the
tree in a circle sloping upward on the
outer side. Around the top of the net
there were drawn ropes from four di-
1ections, held by half dozen natives
hidden in the bush. These were to
bring the top Of the net together and
thus bag our game.
"After waiting some hours the leaves
above rustled and then opened as a
six foot male gorilla descended un-
suspectingly and entered the trap. l
signaled, the four ropes were pulled
at once, and we had our animation
a moment. He roared in fury, twist
ing, jumping and biting the rope into
pieces. The natives were pulled about
like dolls as he tried to reach first one
and then another. The professor jump
ed about in excitement, trying to TO-
Gus a camera on the Infatuated animal.
"At last the mighty arms Of the go
rilla broke a hole through the net, and
he tore the rest from him as though
it were rotten rag. Most OF the ma
tives fed in dismay. The professor
dropped his camera and tried to es-
cape. In a moment the gorilla grasp
ed him in its terrible hands.
Il seized my rife and fired in the
air to brighten the animal. In my po-
sition l could not shoot at him with
out hitting my friend. For moment
the gorilla stood still, holding the now
unconscious man as though he were
a baby, the brute's lips drawn back
from his glistening teeth.
81 thrust another cartridge in my
rifle. AS / did so there was buzz in
the air, and an arrow, shot by ma
tive, pierced the gorilla's side. roar
burst from his red throat, and he drop
ped his victim. Like a fash, before
/ could shoot, a native sprang from
the leaves and, half throwing, half
thrusting, drove an assagai into the
gorilla's heart With a groan the
brute fell dead.
Examining the professor, l found
THAI his right arm was broken and
that some of his ribs were crushed into
his lungs. We gave up the effort to
get live gorilla and, placing the in
jured man In a hammock, carried him
back toward the east coast.
"He died on the road. Out on the
veldt beside a native village lonely
little slab marked Carl Bloch sticks
up above the grass. 1t is the profess
or's grave. Hunting is not all excit-
ing adventure and laughing victory.
1t has it's tears, like other things
Hampton's Magazine.