Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-19
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 GROWING indignity of their lives.
The whole family-Old Man Pete,
his daughters, Salome, Delilah and
Jezebel, and his sons, Nebuchadnez-
Ear Doc Cook and Harry K. 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
philosophicaly, 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 ont of a piece Of cast iron; he
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
a negro who got too near. great
hope shone In Pete's eyes when the
negro fell---the blacks head wasn't
two feet from Pete's mouth
The big gator opened his mouth
until II resembled the crater Of an
active volcano. and he started en-
Enthusiastically to eat some of the dark
meat Somebody yanked rope,
however, and Pete was baked.
Crowd Sees the Fun"
The removal Of Pete and his fam
lily was fraught with incident, and
, provided considerable of ruction for
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 allisators 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 nill, the gator claw
| ing desperately and trying to emu
late the popular conception of a bull
| dog.
1t was the same way with Nebu.
| Chadnezzar, Harry X. Thaw-who
tried to run away-Delilah and Jeze-
hel-a quick grab, a quicker heave
| and flash of black man and squirm-
Ing alligator going up the hill
Salome Hard to Catch.
When Boyd got around to Salome,
| however, there was a bit of a diver
| sion Salome is something OF con-
| tortionist and was hard to catch. A
| happy negro-he was happy because
| he was not working and everybody
| else was-leaned over the fence and
ventured to proffer a 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 int
And Boyd flung her. He flung her
! so hard that Salome struck the ne
gro in the chest, and slid down to his
| legs
1t happened quickly. Two or three
kicks. many screams and supplica-
! tons, a swishing sound, and the place
| where both negro and gator had
| scrambled held nothing but the alllga-
| 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