"He is a half witted, low browed fellow."

Vital info about a California rat-killing contest couldn’t be kept from those newshounds at the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, as the June 22 edition of the paper carried a reprinted article about the topic from the Sacramento Record-Union:

“There is at present in the County Hospital a professional rat catcher, named Angel. He is a half witted, low browed fellow, and his looks indicate that he is anything but what his name would imply. As a rat catcher, however, he is a success, and late yesterday afternoon he gave an exhibition of his powers that was simply wonderful. Several of the best rat terriers in the city were procured, and against these Angel was pitted. The first exhibition of his beastly work was at the hospital, where twenty-five rodents were dispatched, Angel killing a majority.

"Angel, with the rapidity of lightning, would grasp a rat with his left hand, and with his right give the rodent's head a quick twist that would break its neck instantly."

The party then went over to the Gerber Bros. slaughter house, where the ‘game’ was found to be more plentiful. The rodents had congregated by the score under bales of hay, and the exciting contest was kept up for over an hour. The dogs and man would gather about a bale, some one would give the hay a sudden flip, and the rat catchers would rush in. Angel, with the rapidity of lightning, would grasp a rat with his left hand, and with his right give the rodent’s head a quick twist that would break its neck instantly. At other times he would grasp a rat in each hand, dash them together, and both would fall to the ground lifeless. Over 100 were killed here, and Angel killed two to the dog’s one. Prior to Angel going to the hospital, he gained a living solely by killing rats, and on one occasion slaughtered forty-five in one hour in the basement of a K street establishment.”