New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-10-04
SNAKE WORSHIPPER
(. SOUGHT AS SUSPECT
EasI Indian Believed 10 Have
Tried TO Rob Bronx Zoo

Nsw York, Oct, A tall. bearded
Fast Indian serpent sorshlRpef Na'
+ sought yesterday b the police a. the
burglar who attempted 10 steal some
o. the leadliesl reptiles In the sorld
, Srom the Bronx Hee,
Detectives Msneini and Case re-
eslsed from Curator Raymond l.. DIT
mars a detailed description OF dark
skinned freauenter OF the Zoo who
, has been observed repeatedly 10 bow
. with reverence before the King Coz
! hras. believed hy an East Indian sect
} TO be ienaniei by the souls Of princes
Two policemen were assigned last
night as bodygnaFd ia the eohras.
The suspected deYotee has be- n
seen slowly and grayely inelining his
head 10 the kins cobra sometimes for
luily i've minutes. With other the
Dries for this mysterious burglary
pretty Nell eliminated. this reverence
OF the worlds most venomous reptile
Was believed 10 have attempted the
burglary either 10 keep the god OF his
idoiatry in a ahrine In his own home,
or else 10 use " In some approaching
rite of the serpent worshippers.
Fixes Eyes 0n snake.
This man has been seen at wor-
ship so often" said Mr.. Ditmars,
that the keepers usually move off
when they see him approach and take
some position from which they can
observe him without being noticed.
Sometimes they tiptoc In 10 me and
say. He's here again. II others are
near him, the man simply gazes at
the cobras. When he fancles that he
is unnoticed he fixes his eyes on one
Of the king cobras and slowly bends
his neck until his head falls on his
breast.
This particular man has the dark
eyes. hair and beard of a Hindu, but
wears ordinary clothes. He is slender
and tall. He comes In frequently. He
always takes a great interest In the
hooded cobras, the yellow ones and
others, but he reserves his alteration
for the king cobra. have made an
Investigation and find that the belief
of one sect Of serpent worshipers Is
that the king cobra is inhabited by
the soul of prince. while the hum
bier Cobras contain the souls OF COM
mon men. All kinds are treated with
respect. but the obeisance is made
only TO the king cobra. regarded as a
superior.
1T appears extremely likely to me
that this man Is the prepetrator of
this attempted burglary. to me the
most mysterious and fascinating
crime on record,
THE man | mention seems to be |
the leader OF the serpent worsllipers, !
hut there are others OF his race who
come here and are simply absorbed in /
gazing at the cobras. Whenever we
receive new cobra from India OF t
Africa. one OF them sees it and he I
apparently hurries off to tel the
others.
Usually. during the first week after
a cobra arrives, a number OF East
Indians make their appearance and
spend much time before the glass
front of the Cobra house. IL Is only
the one man who is SO dcmonstra-
tive in his devotion, although we
have detected signs of reverence in
some of the others.
White Men Also Worshipers
IA few white men have also shown
an abnormal interest in the king CO.
bras, and a recent investigation we
have made indicates that there are a
great many more reptile worshipers
n this Fart of Tie world than any