Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-18
Career of Marauder Which
Visited Post Office Ended.
BULLET CAUSES HIS DEATH
Bandit Bird, Which Made Pigeons
His Prey, to Repose in Mr..
Hitchcock's Office.
The post office tower hawk is. dead.

The post Office tower hawk Is dead!
bullet ended the career Of. the pic
turesque bandit bird of Washington as he
perched on the corner OF the high tower
of the post office building, @his farorite
post from which he watched for the car
rier pigeons that providence sent to be
his prey and his meal. No one but the
man who did the deed knows who speeded
the rifle ball to it's mark.
The body Of the bold feathered ma
rauder was found on the parapet of the
eighth story of the building by Assistant
Superintendent Shaw at about half past
eleven o'clock this morning. A clotted
CORY wound disclosed the entrance gate
Of death.
Forty-two inches from tip of wing to
tip of wing measures the great speckled
bird. He is no fedgiing-the broken un-
derbeak. an old mishap, tells of long life
and many conflicts. HIS flesh is tough
and muscular. and there is much of it,
as though winter scarcity had not de-
prfved him of proyender.
Exact Species Unknown.
What kind ofsa hawk he was non pres
ent could destgnate. Some dignified
him with ,thszitle of --faicon. Others
considered himsmerely a splendid speci-
men OF the vulgar variety known as
chicken hawk.s'But famous warrior
bird has passed.
The Postmaster General, as tribute to
his fame and his prowess in the. battle
for existence, has directed that full hon
ors be paid to him. delegation from
the Office Of the press room Of the Post
Office Department. Jessie Suter and his
messenger. and Assistant Supt. Shaw
will form o funeral escort to convey the
body to a local taxidermist. There the
corpse will be prepared to be his own
memorial.
When properly stuffed the hawk will
stand. monument to his past tri-
umphs, In the rooms occupied by the
Postmaster General. A book will contain
newspaper sources. Thus his memory is
to be perpetuated.
The hawk has visited for several years
during the months OF cold weather the
higher attitudes above the National Cap
ital. In what aerie he made his nest and
raised a newer generation none has de-
termined, although 1t is possible that a
tall tree I'm the Smithsonian grounds pro-
vided a site for his home.
Watched Eagerly for Pigeons.
winging his way from whatever local
habitation he may have had. the spirit
of banditry and hunger brought him in
season to the post office tower Here
for hours. perched on the north side away
aloft. with sharp eye alert and scanning
the horizon, he. would watch for the
coming of pigeons, many of whom foun i
in the tower domicile or a RESINS
place on long carrier flights.
A fiexing of the muscles, a spreading OF
the wings sudden swoop. and the hawk
seized his quarry. The pigeons last flight
was done. Then the conqueror would pro-
coed to deyour his self-earned dinner.
With sharp. powerful beak he would de-
capitate the corpse clip off the legs, and
then proceed to consume the flesh. When
his appetite would be appeased the bones
of the body. were picked as clean as a
stone. the wings. feathers and all. intac,
and attached to the fieshless skeleton.