The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-12-15
q PIED PIPER IN REAL LIFE.
Rat Catcher of London Has Method
- of Luring the Rodents.

- 1t is a few years ago now since the
adventure happened to me, but the
hero Of it still goes about his work,
and the memory of it is still vivid in
my mind. The scare of plague recalls
the man and his business.
zs l met him, by chance, in one of
those little old-fashioned streets, of
Queen Anne and Georgian houses,
which still remain on the slum side
OF Westminster Abbey. Outside one
OF them was a high dogcart, large
sack (propped up against walD and
the man. It was the sack which first
caught my eye. It was a most pc
culiar sack, or, rather, it was an or
binary sack behaving in most pecu-
liar way. I can only describe it by
saying that it heaved, and wobbled,
and squirmed.
stopped abruptly and said,
stHullo! What the deuce is inside that
sack?"
Then 1 saw the man. He was a
tall fellow, respectfully dressed, with
pale, thin face, a long nose and
greenish eyes. He smiled in answer
to my expression of surprise, and it
was then that noticed the greenish
CLINT in his eyes.
IS What's in the sack?" he said.
Well, take look!"
4 He went to the sack, united the
piece of string and opened the mouth
Of the sack, very cautiously, as l
z peered over it.
Good Lord!" l said '"You don't t
say so!"
AS matter of fact, he had said
: nothing, but the sight he showed me
was astonishing. Inside that sack
was a heap of live rats, yrithing,
clawing, kicking, struggling and bit
Ing, Ugh! that bagful- of vermin
was beastly thing to see.
The man with the greenish eyes
thrust his hand down and drew out,
with a sharp jerk, one of the gray
rats. He had got his head encircled
BY his thumb and forefinger and it's
legs we're kicking furiously.
ttFhat's a fair size!" said the man.
Then he dropped it back into the bag
and tied up the string again.
There are 800 of 'em inside
there" he said. ''Not bad for one
nights catch
Three hundred" 1 cried. Where
on earth did you get them?"
He told me that he had caught
Athem in city warehouse down by
the river. He also told nae that he
expected to get "a good few" in a
city restaurant that very night.
Meanwhile he was going to sell the
{ sackful to some fancy gentlemen
down Mitcham way, who liked to
give their dogs a bit of fun on a Sun
day morning.
He hoisted the sack into the dog
cart, and with a good morning to
you, !" put his foot on the step.
Look here" said, ''I should be
sorry not to meet you again. Do you
mind giving me your name and ad-
J. dress?''
:ss why, certainly" said the man,
and taking out neat little case he
handed me his card. Underneath
his name, which was an ordinary one,
was an extraordinary title. 1t was
nothing less than 'Ratcatcher to the
City of London.
SttI am the only man of my trade
in the London Directory said my
new friend, with a touch of pride.
III you ever want my services
It is needless to say that from the
moment he handed me his card was
consumed with a desire to know
more of the man and his methods.
it was only night or two later when
mSt ulm OuSSlOO q ivy ASSe<%o>A ~~AA
1 down. a side street less than hall
mile from Ludgate Circus.
It was 9 O'Clock. l recognized my
man in the dark doorway OF the res
& taurant, which had been closed fol
an hour. In the Pickering light o1
a street lamp his thin face, with its
: long nose, looked whittier than Wher
I first met him in Westminster, ane
there was the same strange, green
ish CLINT in his eyes. Two stee
cages about foot high were on the
ground beside him. He carried
roll of white cloth under his arm
and in his right hand a bulis-eyt
lantern and long, white wand.
"Any ferrets or dogs?" asked.
Not much!" was the answer.
...Do you put poison DOWN." I said