Some itinerant showmen recently visited Shrewsbury, with a ribbed-faced baboon,
which, it is suspected, has been trained by its owners to commit rob- barks on houses in the night, by climbing up places inacces.ible to men, and thereby gaining an entrance through the bed-room windows. La-t week, a lady residing in Shrewsbury, on retiring to bed found the animal in her room, and it instantly attacked her on being discovered ; and it fought with so much fury, when the lady's husband came to her rescue, that he was glad to let it escape through the window. A gold watch was missed from the table, which it is supposed the animal had carried off. The following morning, the owners of the baboon left the town, with the suspected burglar.—Abridgedfromthe Shrews- bury chronicle.
No wonder the baboon found its way so instinctively into "my lady's chamber," since but a very few years ago many of its race were domiciled in the boudoirs of women of fashion. But the other species of apes, not exactly ribbed-faced, are now freed from their long-tailed rivals; except at the Zoological Gardens, where the flirtings of the beaux stand no chance beside the tricks of the monkies. We should not be surprised if other valuables beside the gold watch be found missing in other houses ; and materials for a pathetic tale of "tire Boy and the Baboon," surpassing in tragic interest "the Maid and the Magpie," be supplied in the justice-room of the good town of Shrewsbury. Your monkey makes a capital scape-goat.
Previous page