The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1922-06-22
GIANT TURTLE
Battles Fiercely With Four
Men. Attempting to
Gather Her Eggs

iUlt - n rttte VI ~ utNNtt ehstNe'
big "trunk-back" sea turtle weigh
ing at least 1900 pounds. in which
four West Palm Beach men had on,
Of the most exciting experiences OF
their lives on the beach a short dis
lance south Of the Jupiter inlet
Leaving Palm Beach about midnight
night or two ago. a party Of turtl,
egg hunters sailed forth with theii
electric flashlights and sacks TO search
the beach below Jupiter. This par.
~ was made up Of Edward W. Land.
graf and Joseph Burgner. two North
Olive street BARRIERS. Bob Burgner
and Holman d. Couch Of W. W. Tib.
belts realty offices.
The men reached their destination
about one o'clock in the morning and
il was as dark as pitch. The old
fallacy about giant sea-tur,les laying
their eggs by the light Of the full
moon during the months ofMay and
June was shot to pieces on this trip,
for the local hunters found fresh
evidence Of various sea turtles visit
ting the beach and laying their eggs
under cover Of darkness
Far above he average high-water
mark visited by the sea-turtles that
invade these shores during their nest
ing season. the hunters found a
trunk back" turtle laying her eggs,
The fash Of electric pocket lights did
not seem TO disturb the big turtle in
the least and as fast as she laid her
eggs she packed the IN and covered
them with her great happers. A
,runk-turtle lays her eggs in a trench
fully three and one-half or four feet
in depth. according to Edward Land.
graf and the eggs are as large as a
billiard ball.
North and south Of the middle mes,
the big turtle made two fake" mats.
A. soon as the big turtle finishes lay.
ing her eggs. which consumed fully
an hour. she crawled along toward
the ocean. the four men started dig
ging down into the sand. They had
gone down three and half feet and
were removing the eggs into a sack.
when suddenly the turtle returned 70
drive off the intruders.
Landgraf was down in the trench
to his waist. digging out the eggs
with his hands. when Couch gave a
warning cry that the big turtle was
upon them. They flashed their lights
and the illumination disclosed the
turtle within a few feet Of the nest
crawling as fast as possible and
snorting with a sound very much like
that Of a bull alligator blowing. The
three men atop the trench ran with
warning cries. but Mr.. LAndgraf
found il difficult to crawl out Of the
hole and get away. By this time the
turtle. with her jaws swapping and
neck extended over the trench. made
final effort TO grab Landgraf. who
got away. however.
The four men closed in about the
turtle in the effort TO flap her over
but the sea-monster simply used her
claws OF fappers and "du-ted" sand
with such rapidity that il resembled
a barrage The sand. thrown fully
twenty feet. struck the men in their
faces with such force as to sting and
burn. The Aquarium has a standing
offer Of $50 to anyone Topping over
trunk-back turtle on its back and
notifying the Aquarium, so that the
turtle may be brought in for exhibi.
ton purposes. alive. but these -four
men made up their minds that they
would not undertake any Topping for
$3.50 a flop. The turtle followed
them down the beach along the high
tide line and finally went back into
the water, only to reappear again
close to shore.
The hunters removed li2 large
eggs from the nest made by the tur.
tie and twelve small eggs. They
found other nests during the next
three or four hours, and returned
with a total Of 459 turtle eggs. This
big trunk-back was described as larg
er than the average dining table, anc
a. high from the ground to the has,