The Punta Gorda herald., 1920-04-01
MYSTERIOUS MARINE
MONSTER CAPTURED
BY FISHING CREW
Strange Creature Found Tangled in
Fish Nets-Capture Attended
by Much Excitement.
LANDED ON CITY DOCK AND
MAY Be Seen There TODAY
Not Even Captain Jack McCam Can
Name Species to Which it Be-
lOngs-Will be Preserved

The large yacht, the P. W. Me
Adow, owned by the West Coast Fish
Company and commanded by Cap
tain Fred Quednau, arrived here
from the fishing waters last night
mullet, brought up one of the
strangest and most horrid-looking
marine creatures ever seen. This
nondescript was landed on the outer
end of the municipal dock, because
this dock affords more room for that
noted expert taxdermist, Thos.
Hartigan, to do the wOr'- of mount
ing the monster for which purpose
he has been engaged by T. c. Cros-
land, the enterprising manager Of
the fish company.
1t is difficult to describe the
monster properly, but it may be said
that it is eight feet long and is esti-
mated to weigh 500 pounds. It's
back and sides are of green-black
color, while its breast and belly are
vi llE ulti SlIdutSs ltc ltdd anu
mouth resemble the head and mouth
of a huge catfish, but the teeth are
like those of a royal Bengal tiger.
There are no peCtoral or VeEtral fins,
but there is a fringe, like that of
an eel, running along the back from
the base of the head to the tail, and
the tail is shaped like that of a por-
poise. The fish, or whatever it may
be called, has a short neck, which,
while alive, enabled it to move its
head from side to side without NOV
ing its body.
But possibly the stTangest things |
about this remarkable creature are
a horn about two feet long extending
from the base of the head and curv-
ing over the back, and four big web
bed feet armed with talons over two
inches long. The horn, in shape.
curve and material, resembles an
tusk, while the feet are
not unlike those of an alliga or but
are much larger.
The capture of this unknown
was attended with consider !
able excitement. 1t was effected {
Tuesday evening at Taxahatchee.
short distance from Chokoloskee, by |
Captain ]. P. Daniels and mis- fish t
ng crew Of twelve men. Going to a
heir gill-nets that afternoon, about g
3ix o'clock, they found them torn TO t
pieces and this monster tangled and
helpless in the wreck it had made. c
When the men approached, however .
t made desperate struggles, not to u
get away, but to attack the men. 1t o
vas simply furious, according to the o
men who assisted in its capture, but g
he nets in which it was entangled
,alled its efforts to get at them, .
nd they dared not approach very =
ear the creature. After a brief con- :
member of the fishing
rev was sent to camp for a Win ;,
hester rifle, which was kept in ligt- 9,
r, otherwise their house-boat. He :.
oon returned and opened fire on the =
eyiathan. The shots served to en- =,
age the creature and provoke it to y
enewed efforts to get at the men.
'inally, a well-directed shot struck a
he monster fairly in the forehead, g.
nd its struggles soon began to
'eaken. 1t was almost, if not fully, ~
n hour before its struggles ceased p
nd it was seen to be dead; and u
len the men towed it to their camp
nd applied themselves TO the task
stripping off the entangling nets.
hey moored the monster beside the u
ghter and went to bed; and, yester-
ny morning, when the Meadow came
ong for a load of fish, the only fish
Ie found at this camp was this mar
e monster. fu
Captain Quednau decided to bring j.
to Punta Gorda and accordingly Nj
ok it aboard, and brought it to the Al
wn dock where it was landed. On an
eing it, Mr.. Crosland decided that it ou
rs such an extraordinary creature
at it ought to be preserved. Thos. "E
artigan was engaged to mount ii da
d will begin the work today. FIR
ter it is mounted, Mr.. Crosland will Tn
ip it to the Museum of Natural ap
story in New York.
Many people have gone down to eve
e dock to see this strange, repul- soc
re monster, but not one of them, of
t even Jack McCann, can name the AID
ecies to which it belongs.
-REoIsTERl-