The Washington times., 1909-08-31
One Killed by Roosevelt
Largest Specimen of
Kind.
HUNTSMAN HELLER
IN NARROW ESCAPE
Fires on Leopard, Which Makes
Desperate Effort to At
tack Him.

NEW YORK. Aug. 31.-A letter receiv-
ed this morning from a relative of a
member Of the Roosevelt party In Africa
gives a graphic and interesting recital Of
the manner I'm which the gigantic hippo
potamus. killed by Mr.. Roosevelt last
month. was skinned by the noted hunts
man Heller, who was assisted in the
work by q corps of soTae forty or more
porters and assistants.
The letter closes win a story Of a
rather narrow escape which Heller a
with a wounded panther which was
caught by one toe in a small rabbit
trap and threatened, for a time. the life
of several camp followers. The letter
follows:
To kin the large hippo which Colonel
Roosevelt killed two days ago was a
Job that took Heller something over
thirty hours to complete. Removing the
thick hide from an ordinary sized hippo
potamus is generally a two days task
for one man. The work is o only by
those who have spent years in learning
the trade" for sUch it is in Africa.
Work Is Picturesque.
From the time that the gangs of por-
tiers. dressed only in breech clothes,
were sent into the stream to begin the
task of hauling the body to shore. until
the leather-like kin was removed the
work was interesting. The work alone
of dragging the dead hippo 20 shore was
picturesque and replete with humorous
incidents to those who were Witnessing
the event for the first time.
Some five or six pOrters were sent out
into the water to tie the animal firmly
and then TO push. The water was full Of
leeches, and at frequent intervals the
porters yelled and leaDed into the air,
clutching their bare legs or feet and
pulling of the wOrmlike things. The
ground was slippery. and every now
and then q man lost his footing and
went over backward into the water. As
soon as the hippo reached shallow
water a cloth was laid in front OF il,
and trodden down by the natives feet
so as TO get under water. Then the
porters. thirty or forty in number,
grasped a long rope and pull with a
win. the animal up on this cloth.
The cloth is then slipped out, placed
ahead of her, and the operation begins
again.
Heller, looking very wise and not at
all savage with his hunting knife, was
waiting by the bank to begin the skin
ming at once. With quick strokes he
49, AAL ANLNHNA y NAN-aANAA1 anu INV
peeling Of the heavy hide began. In less
than three hours he was in camp, fol-
lowed by pOrters, some carrying the
skin. some the skull, and lower jaw,
some the carcass, and some the various
bones of the legs. Then the delicate
work began OF peeling down the hide,
a tiny silver at a time. so that the
heavy Uaoer skin might be removed and
leave the outer hide, which only then
can be treated and preserved.
Has Narrow Escape.
Heller came into camp this morning
with a trophy which, on account OF the
circumstance in which il was killed. is
among the most remarkable OF the ex-
petition. He had set a small trap for
rabbits. with a branch OF q tree tied 10
the chain as drag, and on going out at
8 o'clock saw only the trail Of the trap
IN the underbrush. He followed the
tracks, and presently came to a bush
where a fierce smart greeted him. He
knew at once that he had trapped a
leopard. and sent one Of his boys back
&C camp for his rife. When this was
brought, he climbed a tree 10 see where
the leopard was, knowing that a small
trap on one foot could not prevent a
leopard from charging IL approached in
the brush He could only see a patch
Of fur and fired at this, not knowing
what part OF the beast 10 was.
A howl told him he had hit ana I'm
another second the leopard, a very large
one, mao Jet the bus and was CHARGING
the tree. trap and all. Heller fired q
second time and stopped the advance
again, but the leopard recovered and
made another dive forward. Only the
fourth shot finished him. and the Hell
Ter came down from the tree 70 discover
mat al the while the leopard had been
held by only one toe and had but TO
pull hard 20 shake of the tran. and be
free to climb the tree.
The natives say they have never seen
q leopard so fat He weighed I26 pounds.
The settlers say IL is an old scouudrel
who has destroyed $3.50 worth OF os-
triches In the past year.