Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1890 — SUICIDE OF A BABOON. [ARTICLE]

SUICIDE OF A BABOON.

Xnconaolable at the Death of Her Offipiing, She Swallow* Matches. Here is a queer story vouched for by the staid and sober Philadelphia Inquirer: The crew of the bark Edward May, which arrived yesterday from the Pbillipine Islands, are disconsolate. Not even the fact that the vessel on board of which they had sailed so many thousands of miles was safely moored in the placid waters of the Deleware could assuage the grief of the jack tars. The pet of all on board, a beautiful baboon of a very rare species, had committed suicide when within a few days’ sail of port. There were several monkeys on board when the vessel left Iloilo, but they all died except the big baboon, which shortly after coming on board gave birth to a baby baboon, of which »he seemed very fond. This is the first known instance of such an interesting event occurring on shipboard. All went well until the cooler atmosphere of more northern climes was reached, when the little one sickened and finally paid the debt of nature. The mother was frantic, refused all nourishment, flew at every one who approached her, and finally succeeded In getting hold of a box of lucifer matches. These matches the creature Swallowed, the result being that the creature died in great agony the following evening. Had she and her offspring survived it was the intention of Captain Mehaney to present them to the Zoological Society’s gardens. The bark hah a passage of 129 days, and met with some curious phenomena when in the neighborhood of the equator. Calms, heavy rains, water spouts, thunder and rain storms were experienced to an unprecedented extent. During one heavy thunderstorm the the lightning played up and down the shrouds, while on each yardarm were balls of fire like ‘ ‘will o’ the wisps’ lanterns.”