In 1894, Chicago, a drunk man decided to steal a live alligator being displayed outside of a restaurant. What happened next was utter chaos as people began to follow the alligator man around the streets of the city until a restaurant worker chased him down.
Stole an Alligator
Thomas Conway, of Chicago, went alligator hunting on Madison street the other afternoon. He, with a couple of companions, had been partaking freely of Clark street whiskey and at five o’clock brought up before a tank containing a huge tortoise and an ugly looking alligator 5 feet long in front of Burky and Milan’s restaurant.
Conway did not take kindly to the alligator, and after an oratorical prelude, dived into the tank and succeeded in getting a firm hold upon the tail of the reptile.
Flanked on each side by a companion and waving the trophy over his head, he marched west to Clark street and then turned south. A crowd of several hundred people followed, while the captive struggled to get away.
They turned the corner of Madison street, on Clark, before the loss of the alligator was discovered by the restaurant keepers.
The head waiter, Lee, started in pursuit. He caught up with the hilarious sports when they were half way to Monroe street.
When he attempted to assert his right of possession to the alligator, a free fight followed. In five seconds the party of four, with the alligator underneath, were lying at the bottom of a stairway, struggling and kicking.
In the meantime. the crowd had increased in proportions until the street was blockaded and the street cars were tied up in a long line.
It was hard to tell which side would come out victorious. From the dark hole in the stairway came volleys of oaths and an occasional yell while the tail of the alligator would dimly be seen raining blows on friends and foes.
The unusual excitement, and the great number of people even for a Clark street crowd, at last attracted the attention of a half dozen policemen. With much labor, they forced their way to the scene of the battle.
Officer Quinton bravely rushed into the pit, but one swish of the tail of the alligator cause him to beat a retreat. Reinforced by a half dozen brothers, he again made the descent, and finally succeeded in disentangling the men from the reptile.
Conway was made to carry his prize back and deposit it in the tank, and then, bleeding, but sober, he was led off to the Harrison street station.
Source: San Antonio daily light. (San Antonio, Tex.), 07 July 1894.
