Thursday, October 20, 2011
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Friday, October 21, 1898
Woman Borgia Emulates the Fate of Egypt’s Queen.
    Cora Smith, whose death took place at Anamosa, Iowa, penitentiary Monday killed herself by eating spiders. A paper bag partially full of the insects was found in her cell and an examination of her stomach showed that the poison from the insects caused her death. She left a written confession addressed to Attorney General Milton Remley, in which she persists, that she and she sister Ellen administered the poison which caused the death of their father, Michael Smith, and that her mother, Betsy Smith, who is confined for life full the murder, is innocent. She wrote the confession while contemplating the suicide. The spiders she secured from the stone walls of the prison.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Published in the Lake County Independent, Libertyville, Illinois on Friday, November 1, 1901
    Richard Croak, of Hartland, was in Harvard yesterday and to friends he told of his experience in having four lizards taken from his stomach by Dr. Sarah DeLoss, of Chicago. For nine years he has suffered from his stomach, at times enduring severe pain that baffled the skill of physicians. He finally went to consult Dr. DeLoss, who told him of the existence of lizards in his stomach. He at once submitted to treatment at her hands, taking his first medicine on Tuesday and the following Sunday four lizards were removed. These reptiles, one of which measured fully six inches, he has preserved in alcohol and can be seen by any person doubting the statements above made. Mr. Croak feels that he cannot too strongly commend Dr. DeLoss for what she has done for him.-Harvard Harald.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Wednesday, October 12, 1921
    Christmas Island, in Oceanica, is infested with landcrabs two feet across which swarm over the camps of travelers in such large numbers as to be dangerous. A party of astronomers, led by Admiral Wharton, were unable to protect their supplies, and the crabs even carried away two large chronometers.-Popular Science Monthly.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Tuesday, October 30, 1900
Shark stories, with some reason, are commonly received with incredulity. A well authenticated anecdote, however, is told of Dr. Frederic Hill, an English surgeon of distinction.
A man fell overboard in the Indian ocean and almost into a shark’s mouth. Hill, who was standing close to the rail, grabbed a belaying pin and without hesitation jumped to save the sailor.
The great brute was just turning on his back to bite, when Hill drove the belaying pin right through both jaws. Both men were got on board again unharmed.
‘Perhaps that fellow won’t want another toothpick. Has any one got a clean shirt to lend? This was my last,” were the only words of the rescuer.
Published in the Waukegan Gazette, Waukegan, Illinois on Sunday, December 27, 1857
In a hump-backed whale, which was driven ashore at Nahant a short time since, a pair of boots marked “J.” were found in a good state of preservation. The Charleston Advertiser suggests that they might have been left behind by Jonah, when he made his sudden exit from the whale.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Thursday, August 17, 1922
    A diver, working off the Australian coast, had an odd adventure. A 12-foot shark came nosing up to him, and as its rough hide might have damaged his suit, he held the point of his steel “jumper” toward the intruder. This seemed to be just what the shark wanted, and he rubbed himself against it as a pig does against a stick when he is being scratched. He kept the diver at work for half an hour, and at last made off.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Tuesday, October 3, 1922
By International News Service.
    Niles, Mich., Oct. 3.-Arthur Gregg, youthful fisherman of Niles, accounted for four deeply lacerated toes by explaining that a 3-foot pike seized them as they dangled in the water from a boat in which he was fishing. He was pulling a bluegill in past by his bare foot when the pike lunged at the smaller fish, seized Gregg’s toes, and clung to them until they were jerked out of the water, he said.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Wednesday, November 22, 1922
By International News Service.
    Milton, Fla., Nov. 22-W. F. Monroe is the boss fisherman of this section. He threw his casting rod into Clear Creek and began to haul it in when he got a “strike”. The work was a bit harder than usual. Four wriggling speckled trout were trying to get free when he drew in his line. He made two more casts, caught two more big trout and then went home.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Published in the Waukegan Gazette, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, May 20, 1882
    Heading across the bay to St. Simon’s light, the man in charge of the wheel hailed Mr. Tift and directed his attention to something ahead of us. The object turned out to be a shark’s fin, so large as to be a matter of wonder to the sailors aboard. The boat happened to be provided with a shark line-a manila cord about a half inch thick, with a large hook tied to a trace-chain. A small piece of beef was quickly put on the hook, a float put on the line and then cast out and then the line made fast to the capstan. As we neared the fish the fin disappeared and all eagerly watched the float. Suddenly the line tightened, the float disappeared and the man at the capstan yelled out; “He’s hooked!”
    I have been fishing, but I never saw the like of that. The fellow rose to the surface of the wave and looked at us. He had about seventy-five yards of line out by this time, and actually in a second he made a rush and jumped clear over the bow of the steamer. The ladies then got under shelter and all hands helped to hold that line. The fellow, when he failed to eat us up, made for the ocean and fairly made the waters foam. After about an hour’s run he began to tire, and the boat was headed for a beach on Jekel Island. Gradually we pulled in the line until the boat touched the beach, and then one of the hands waded ashore, taking the end of the line with him, which he made fast to a stump and came back for help.
    Four of us got on shore and commenced to pull Mr. Shark in. It took all we could do, and two rifle balls to boot, to land him. When I tell you that he measured 17 feet 10 1/2 inches from tip to tip you will know what a job we had. We determined to prove that we caught this shark, so we gave two negroes $4 to cut him open and get his head off, so that we could get his jaw over home. His teeth are wonderful, being about 3 1/4 inches long, and so strong that he actually flattened out the bid iron hook. The negroes made quite a prize. In his stomach they found 11 silver Mexican dollars and one Spanish doubloon, gold, and a whole lot of brass buttons.-Cor. Albany [Ga.] News.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Published in the Waukegan Gazette, Waukegan, Illinois on Monday, July 8, 1878
    Rabbit hunting and fishing constitute the business of life now to the Piute warriors in Nevada, since the buffalo have traveled north, and the antelope is fast following them; and in the capture and killing of such deer he is exceedingly expert. His fishing tackle consists of a bit of light rope, weighted with a stone at one end, and grasped by the hand of the fishermen at the other end. To this line are attached at regular distances half a dozen or more hooks, made of rabbit-bones, in the form of a narrow letter V; and to the angle of each V again is fastened a short line of sinews, and baited with some such trifle as a snail or a fresh-water sucker. The fish, swallowing the bait and the line, swallows also the hook, which is so acted upon by the tension of the line as to expand its two prongs and fasten them firmly in the victim’s throat; and then it struggles and whirls and darts about the line, attracting all its family and the neighbors to swallow the same snare, until the angler has counted a bite for every hook, and quietly draws in his main line heavy with spoils.