HELP! Mower leaking gas from carb, streak in lawn!

[Kkane97]

I just got back from mowing my 3rd account for the day, when I noticed in the road behind me a line of drops , so i immediatly stopped walking and checked out my mower, from the bolt underneath the float bowl (i know it has a name i cant remember it) So I grabbed a wrench from the bag and slowly started to tighten the bolt, the second I get it tight enough to almost stop the leak, it strips out or something and the whole bowl falls off the carb and I have to start again does this make ANY sense to anybody?

My mower is a troybilt 34087 the owner before me spraypainted the engine and the engine model # is unreadable, but it is a 8.5hp b/s Any help would be greatly appreciated...

If it was leaking on a lawn, how should I remove the gas from it besides spraying the whole lawn with a hose to dillute it, I ran back to their houses and did my best.