Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-20
Big Reptile Knocks Man Down With Tail Loses
Teeth Biting Iron Bars

Old Man Pete Alligator and his six
children are in their winter quarters
In Grant Park Wednesday, after be
ing subjected Tuesday afternoon to
the crowning indignity of their lives
The whole family-Old Man Pete,
his daughters, Salome, Delilah and
Jezebel, and his sons, Nebuchadnez-
gar Doc Cook and Harry x. ThaW,
the latter being so named because he
is always trying to get away and
never does, were yanked from their
pool at the foot OF the lake, where
they have lain in delicious mud all
summer, and transferred to their win
ter quarters in the animal house.
The children have taken their fate
philosophically and are lying in the
shade as calmly as they ever lay in
the sun. but Old Man Pete's shriveled
soul is black with hate.
Old Pete lost eight or ten teeth
and lot of energy trying to bite a
chunk out OF piece OF cast iron; no
has bumps on his body where sundry
persons whacked him with a broom
stick. and his neck is sore because
others threw ropes about him and
tried to choke him.
The only happy moment in an aft
ernoon of torture came when he
swished his tail suddenly and upset
I 4
hope shone in Petes eyes when the
negro fell-the blacks head wasn't
two feet from Pete's mouth.
The big gator opened his mouth
until it resembled the crater of an
active volcano. and he started en-
Enthusiastically to eat some Of the dark
meat Somebody yanked a rope,
however, and Pete was baked
Crowd Sees the Dun"
The removal OF Pete and his fam
lily was frauSht with incident, and
, provided considerable of a ruction for
a gleeful crowd.
Edward Boyd. who takes care of the
animals at the park and knows more
about alligators in general and Pete
in particular than any other man in
Atlanta, turned off the water and
drained the pool, Then, with his legs
| incased in high rubber boots he went
In and chased Pete up the bank The
little alligators were half buried in
the mud.
Boyd took Doc Cook by the tail,
and flung him over the fence.
\ negro grabbed him and started
on a run up the nil, the gator claw
ing desperately and trying to EMU
late the popular conception of bull
dog
II was the same way with Nebu.
chadneZzar, Harry X. Thaw-who
tried to run aWay-Delilah and Jeze-
bel-a quick grab. quicker heave
and flash of black man and squirm-
ing alligator going up the hill
SaIome Hard to Catch.
When Boyd got around to Salome,
however there was bit of a diver
sion Salome is something of a con-
| tortioniSt, and was hard to catch. 4
happy negro he was happy because
he was NOT working and everybody
else Was-leaned over the fence and
ventured to proffer little advice.
BOYD cornered the elusive Salome,
and grabbed her by the tail
Oats de way. boss" cried the ne
gro, Oats de way Now fling Hm!"
And Boyd flung her He flung her
so hard that Salome struck the ne
gro in the chest and Slid down to his
legs
II happened quickly. Two or three
kicks, many screams and supplica-
tions. a swishing sound. and the place
where both negro and gator had
scrambled held nothing but the alliga-
tor. Nobody saw the negro go, but
! everybody knew he was gone, be-
cause the wind he raised stirred the
leaves. even in the topmost branches.
He did not return
Salome was hustled up the hill into