New-York tribune., 1911-02-27
WHO HAS SUITCASE
FILLED WITH SNAKES?
Curator Ditmars Gets Palamas
and Things in Exchange for
200" Reptiles.
MIX PACKAGES AT WALDORF
Does the Man Who Made the
Swap After Rocky Mountain
Clubs Dinner Know
H. Yet?

Some one appropriated IS not
charged that any one stole-a suitcase
| full of snakes belonging 10 RAYMOND H.
Ditmars curator of the New fork
Geological Society. When last seen the
four serpents were on exhibition AT the
Rocky Mountain Club. in the Waldorf
on Saturday night.
Mr.. Ditmars asked Mr.. Xayas, man
ager Of the club, for permission 10 place
his snakes I'm his suitcase. with Inc
understanding that Mr.. Dtmars would
send for them the first thin yesterday
morning Mr.. Ditmars sent for them.
He sent John Toomey. one of the Bronx
Park keepers. He told John Toomey to
find Nj. Zayas and obtain from him the
suitcase belonging to Mr.. Ditmars.
Everything was most explicit. Mr..
Zayas joyfuIly surrendered that suit
case to John Toomey on demand. pre-
senting to said Toomey at arms length
the suitcase marked 3D." for Ditmars.
Everything was most regular and pleas
ant, and Toomey took the suitcase
promptly to the Bronx Zoo. just as he
had been told by Mr.. Ditmars to do
Mr. Ditmars next told Mr.. Toomey to
remove the snakes from the suitcase ana
place each carefully in its glass case.
The curator had no doubt the reptiles
would appreciate the change. Toomey
took from the suitcase one pair or
trousers. one suit of pajama,, one shirt
and some collars He looked all through
the suitcase. but could not find the
snakes Mr.. Ditmars talked on the
telephone with Mr.. Zayas, who searched
the Rocky Mountain Club rooms.
The Snakes Were Gone.
mo. it's not here" shouted Mr. Zayas,
meaning the suitcase filed with snakes.
"One of our comrades must have taken
your suitcase by mistake"
The man who expects pajamas ana
finds an educated king snake belonging
to Evelyn Nesbit Thaw. an indigo snake,
scarlet racer and a boa constructor, the
latter unravelling to a total Of nine feet.
will be angry to think that some one has
run off with his night clothes.
Mr. Ditmars does not like to have any
one feel that he would retain another
mans pajamas. Both men are annoyed.
but. of course, the interest centres in the
identity of the unknown member of the
Rocky Mountain Club who has been face
to face with the problem Of amusing
over Sunday four perfectly strange
snakes. Many species have liking for
music For instance. to the sound Of the
flute the missing snakes might rise up
in the suitcase and sway the upper part
of their bodies, while they rest upon the
spirals formed by the lower half.
There is nothing. however, to show
that the man who found these four
snakes when he was preparing to retire
was musical. 1t is almost certain that
ne would not have a flute with him.
Maybe He Can Charm Them.
Serpent charmers ascribe their power
over snakes TO some constitutional pc
cularity, and the profession is handed
down in family from one generation
70 another. 1t is hoped, from the fact
that the man attended the Rocky Noun
tain Club lecture on snakes that he was
more than usually interested in serpents,
in which ca il would not be impossi-
bic that he should prove TO be descended
from a snake charming family. In such
event. even though the temporary
rhaperon for Mr.. Ditmars's fine serpents
was without a flute he would know the
value of magic words. Many snakes
can be lurcd by magic words.
There are other snakes that are inn
pervious to music and unaffected by ora
tory that can he ruled by the eye. II
this system fails, an experienced snake
charmer. such as it is hoped the un-
known man will prove to be, can make
snake sway to the movement of his
hand. Snakes are said to have a well
developed nervous system and to he in
telliCent. Many show docilty and re-
gard for their friends. The most highly
developed snakes are those with a
poison apparatus. Mr.. Ditmars said yes
terday that his four missing snakes were
harmless. The question is, Does the
man who ,wns the pajamas know it?