Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-10
CAPTURED COYOTE
DRAWS CROWD TO
. CHAIN BRIDGE CAGE
Owners Doubt That Animal
Caught in Cellar Is "the
Panther"
D0GLIKE BEAST NATIVE
OF WESTERN PLAINS
Federal Expert Declares Captive
Unlikely to Attack Man Unless
Cornered or Rabies-Stricken.


A covering coyote, in a tiny, chicken
wire cage, today stands before little
store at the Virginia end of Chain
Bridge as exhibit A in the search for
the panther" which for a month has
harraSsed the farmers of Northeast
Washington and nearby Maryland.
incidentally, Mr. Coyote is booming
business for the store and the gasoline
station next door.
The coyote was captured by the bare
hands of Joseph D. Mackey and Greed
M. Crumbaugh last Saturday night as
the marauding beast feasted upon
chickens killed in the cellar of Mackey's
nome, about 400 yards from the Vir-
gin1a end Of Chain Bridge.
That the coyote is the panther" of
the Northeast, Mackey and Crumbaugh
doubt, but both of them, from two eX-
periences of catching the beast, the first
time Saturday night and again this
morning after it had broken from its
tiny cage, are willing to tell every one
who visits the Mackey store that MIR.
Coyote is one of the most ferocious ami
mails with which they have ever come
IN contact.
Coyote Eats With Gusto.
Mackey exhibits torn overcoat from
his encounter with the coyote, but
Crumbaugh has come through two cap
turing experiences unscratched. The
coyote has been mauled and kicked a
bit, but is none the worse for such
treatment, and is eating q pound of
steak a day with gUSto.
According to Mackey and Crumbaugh,
it was shortly after dark Saturday night
when they went up the hill from
Mackey's store to light the furnace
in Mackey'S house At the cellar door,
they say, they found a dead chicken
Entering the cellar, they found another
and were startled to find two cleaning
eyes regarding them from the dark
ness behind the furnace.
Thinking the animal only a stray
dog, Mackey advanced and kicked at
the beast. It covered into a corner,
snarling; Mackey kicked at it again
and it sprang at him, tearing his coat
pocket with its teeth. Crumbaugh, who
was behind Mackey, scared the animal
back into its corner again, and got
light.
Recognizing the animal as a wild one,
both men warily advanced on it again,
and while Crumbaugh engaged the ami
mails attention. Mackey slipped up and
secured piece of wire about its neck.
They left it in the cellar, tied. and went
back to Mackeys store to get help in
catching the animal. Returning with
about dozen men and a hastily con-
cured the wire and stuffed the coyote
into the cage.
Animal Is Put on Exhibition.
Then the animal was put on exhibit
ton. Hundreds of motorists driving to
and from Washington over Chain Bridge
stopped to view the animal Saturday
night and yesterday, and incidentally
they bought candy and tobacco at
Mackey's store and gasoline and oil at
Crumbaugh'S filling station, next door.
Business doomed.
Such an attraction is the coyote that
Mackey and Crumbaugh last night
turned down fiat an offer of $3.50 and
"25 per cent of the profits" made for
the animal by H. B. Travis of Alexan-
dria. Several others, seeing the pos
sibilities of exhibiting the coyote as the
panther" made gerouS offers for 1t,
but Mackey and Crumbaugh are keep
ing the animal and looking after trade.
Crumbaugh and Mackey gave vigorous
denial today to suggestions of casual
NAoAIOAS az Vic oOOIe dIlO 1llIIlS station
that the coyote might Rave been
brought into this country from its native
habitat. the plains of the West, to at
tract trade to the store.
Mackey went so far this morning as
to offer to bet any amount, at tWo-to-
one. that 1t could not be proved that
he and Crumbaugh imported the animal
to help along the dull Winter trade.
Coyote Doesn't Attack Man.
w. E. Crouch, acting head of the di-
vision of predatory animal control. Bu-
reau of Biological Survey. Department
OF Agriculture, today declared coyotes
to be dangerous animals. In the West,
he said, they frequently attack hogs and
sheep and play havoc with the chicken
ranches. None has been known, he
said, TO attack men unless cornered or
suffering violent rabies.
Rabid coyotes, he said, constitute a
grave danger on the plains of the West
to all forms of life, including humans.
He could not account for the presence
OF the animal in this section of the
country. They are extinct east of the
Mississippi River, he declared.
1t was pointed out in Crouch's Office
that SO dangerous is the coyote con-
sidered in the West that the State Of
Oregon has recently passed q law for
bidding any one to keep a coyote in
captivity. allowing only ZOOS to exhibit
the animals. Many coyotes, it is ex-
planned, have broken from their private
cages and run amuck among children
and domestic animals.
May Sell 1t to a Zoo.
After the escape of the animal this
morning, and its recapture, Crumbaugh
and Mackey determined to get larger
and stronger cage.
Some time last night, they said, the
coyote broke out of the cage in Mackey'S
store and tore up things around the
store In an attempt to escape. Marks
Of the animals teeth were exhibited
upon window of the store They
managed to corner the animal again
this morning and get it back into its
cage.
Crumbaugh and Mackey say they
will keep the coyote as long as 1t
booms their business and then will
sell it, probably to some ZOO.
MEAN AT ACE ne 90