The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-12
CRUELTY TO BIG
SNAKE AROUSES
OFFICERS ANGER
x
Humane Authorities In Indian.
apolis In Quandary Over
~ Rather
SERPENTS APPETITE
SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION
Some Say Rattlers Should Be
Fed emi-M0nthly, Others
Disagree

INDIANAPOLIS. Sept. IA nine
/ Epktled rattlesnake, sleeping in the
wet sawdust In glass cage at 24l
INST Washington-st. has loaded an
other legal burden on the overworke ed
shoulders OF the Indianapolis Humane
society. the prosecutors office stan
md Humane Officer Merrill.
The point involved concerns the
ptanding of the rattlesnake In society
hnd 1t Is required that Humane In
Npector Merrill decide whether the
Fattlesnake. as pet. can be the OBJ
bset Of cruelty.
G. I. Baker captured 'nine-rattle
po&tlesnake In Washington county
august 8. when on picnic. Baker
placed the snake In q glass case out
13de OF the Baker Bros. place OF bust
taos. In East Westinghouse.
u cannot be denied that the snake
Ca1 plump and well favored when
e18ted In the shoestring moose from its
native soil In Washington county
VArm August days In a glass cage
wore on the snake Its pitiful fiabby
folds and decreasing ''waistline" at
tfacted the attention Of the humane
Snspector.
~Baker. have you fed that snake?'
Merrill politely asked.
That's a question to ask man.
Baker retorted, peeved.
The snake out to be fed" Merrill
suggested.
I'm taking care OF that snake and
it, none OF your business" Baker an
swered. or words to that effect. If
you want him fed, there he il, feed
him yourself"
Are you going to feed the snake?''
Merrill demanded, showing his tone
q authority for the first time.
Baker said he did not know, and
Merrill informed him that was all he
desired.
Society Board Dodges.
Merrill took the problem OF the hun
gry rattlesnake before the humane So
ciety and was instructed to use his
own judgment in the case. (The
board OF the humane society Is diplo-
matic.)
Deputy Prosecutor McCarty was
Willing to help the cause of humanity
even unto seeing that descendant
Of the source of trouble In the Garden
Of Eden. was properly fed, but Nc
Carty wasn't sure. The courts had
held that rats were outside the law
and rattlesuakes--it was question.
Richard J. Ward, bird dealer, in
West Ohio-st., was called on as an ex-
pert. Ward didn't have a great deal
OF experience with rattlesnakes as
pets, he admitted, but some one from
the west had told him rattlesnakes
had semf-mOnthly appetities and pin
ID away unless they had at least a
hight lunch every two weeks. Merrill
was getting warm.
But heard somewhere that rattle
snakes are SO cantankerous and hold a
fgrudge 30 long that they will not
touch anything out Of pure spite for
two months after they are caught. es.
pecially II they are held" Mr.. Ward
remembered. Besides. this Is dog
days and snakes are blind"
That settled It. Merrill said he
would await the appetite Of the rat
tlesnake.
It's all right to kill rattlers dead,
but / don't believe In starving even a
SNAKE" the big-hearted humane OFF,
Ger assert.
II am perfectly willing to feed the
snake" Baker said this afternoon to
Humane Officer Merrill, but the
bloomin' snake won't eat because 1t
= afraid"
Baker apologised to Merrill this aft
eInoon for any abruptness that he
said he might have shown this morn
ing when he was told to feed the
0Un6o.