Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-05
Tilted Monkey Tries to Hang Self
GRANT. PARK zoo AGOGI

Beppo. the shaggy monk Of the Grant
park zoo. attempted suicide this morn
ing A skipping rope had been left
In his cage by child, and with one
end OF it around his neck and another
tied to beam. Beppo lea ped twenty
feet to the ground.
Fortunately he had neglected to tie
the knot securely and the rope slipped.
Immediately the whole place was in
an uproar The several kinsmen Of
Beppo rushed in and about the cage
with hystertcal chatters The lion IN
distant cage roared his loudest. and the
jackals whipped about in their cells
uttering strange. plaintive cries
There was one of the monkey contin-
| gent. however, that refused to come
near the fallen Beppo In the slight
moment he was hurting through the
air. holding the belief that the ropes
end would bring him death. he had shot
a glance al her Though slight there
vas pathos crowded into it, When he
struck the ground she paid no atten-
ton. but continued to scamper about in
her corner
6sppo in Gloomy Silence.
After the excitement had quleted
| friends of Beppo began making inqui-
ries into The cause Of his hasty at
tempt al self destruction Beppo would
make no response, but crowded into a
corner and sat in gloomy silence all the
morning
But they all got together and com
pared notes on Beppo He had been
acting strangely Of late, OF course. he
was always a philosopher He was the
kind of monkey who would regard bag
Of peanuts critically before laying hold
of it. because he knew that such an
action would bring a second gift.
But philosophy was not responsible
could not have been responsible-for
the dull disquiet which had hedged him
about since the slender chimpanzee had
been brought to the zoo direct from
some African shore
Repro had been monk untouched
by sentiment None OF the feminine
OF his tribe could lure him from the
placid Indifference which he wore all
the time But Of late it had been differ
ent
When the chimpanzee was FIRST
placed in the cage he had approached
her bearing gifts He carried her flow
ers-carnations that a springtime wooer
had thrown through the grating and
peanuts and bits Of candy She scorned
| them all
The first rebuff made no particular
difference to Beppo. He felt she was
playing a game He persisted He
would follow her from limb to limb.
swinging by other than his hands He
would gain a position where she could
see him and then make hazardous leaps
through the air such as no other monk
would try, But nothing he could do
seemed TO penetrate that calm ndif-
ference Of the girl chimpanzee from
Africa.
Even a Mirror Fails to Win Her.
one day he found a mirror and gave
it to her When she caught sight Of
herself she laughed, and Beppo was
nightly pleased He was sure then
that the mirror was a piece de ress-
lance He was sure that she would
open her eyes to him. But the mirrors
novelty soon wore off. She cast it from
her and scampered once more to the
limb Of the dead tree and began busy
| ing herself with series of knick-
knacks she had collected.
Beppo worried about her for a while.
but, failing to get her attention. he
departed in sorrow. There was no more
| Joy in Hooland for Beppo. For this
reason he caught readily at the rope
which was flung into the cage
Choosing a time when no one was
looking he flung the rope over a high
beam and tied it. There was already a
moose In the end, and this he slipped
over his head After mounting to the
beam he uttered one farewell screech
and made the leap. But the rope did
not hold
The occupants OF Beppo's cage have
taken good care to see that no weap
ons Of destruction are left near him
Meanwhile committee will wait upon
the girl chimpanzee from Africa and
beseeCh her to have a little pity.