Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 202, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1913 — PULLED FROM ’GATORS’ JAWS [ARTICLE]

PULLED FROM ’GATORS’ JAWS

Head Keeper Falls Into Fool, But Escapes With Most of His Trousers. New York. —A dozen alligators and three big snapping turtles were swink ming about the pool in the Central park menagerie when Head Keeper Billy Snyder went into the enclosure to clean up before going on his annual vacation to his old home in Dutchess county. The pool Is surrounded with a cement border and a slippery seem bad formed on this which caused Snyder to lose his footing as he stood at the edge with an iron rake to pull out the leaves. He splashed into the water and attracted the attention of the saurtans. They gathered around him and one of the biggest set his '•teeth in the slack of Snyder’s trousers and palled. Snyder was getting upon his feet again, but the ’gator gave a tug and the keeper went sprawling once more. Several of the smaller alligators took a nip here and there at the man’s clothing, hut did not reach the flesh. Bob Hurton, Snyder’s assistant, and Policeman Lohmeyer chased the reptiles away with Btlcks and gave the bead keeper a chance to scramble out before anything serious happened.