Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-12-08
THE RATTLE SNAKE.

THE RATTLE SNAKE.
MILTON. IL. L. NOV. %.
melancholy Occurrence. Most of
our readers have doubtless seen the &C
count published in our paper of the Cd
INST. OF Rattle Snake in the keeping
of Mr.. John ii. Bobbit. at Person court
house. During the iast week. the edi-
tor OF this paper, in company with se-
veral respectable gentlemen attending
Person Superior Court, visited on
tuesday morning, the house occupied
by Mr.. b. for the purpose Of seeing
What was Ia US a natural curiosity.-
MIR Bobbit, willing 20 CRAFTY u. took
the reptile out OF the cage with his
hand and held il by the neck. On &C.
count at the approach Of cold weather,
II had almost arrived at its torpid state
and appeared quite docile. which to
it' keeper was mistaken for tamencss.
Alter having been cautioned by one of
the company. Of the danger to which he
was exposing himself. we left him. Ia
the evening. standing not far from the
shop OF Mr.. Bobbit. the editor was in
formed that the snake had bitten its
Keeper; in few minutes we went TO
MIR. BIS shop, and found him in great
agony. This was near sunset-before
midnight. MIR. b. was corpse.
We are indebted to one of the at
tending physicians for the following
particulars of this melancholy affair:
The deceased VAS not bitten by
the snake as was at first supposed by
those who were not present. He told
our informant, at the time when his
mouth and tongue were so much swol-
len that he could scarcely articulate.
tina, the snake did not do it inten-
tionally." Those who were present,
say that MIR. Bobbit had the snake out
showing 1t To them, holding il in his
left hand, rather loosely that by an
effort OF the snake to draw his head
back. one Of its fangs came in contact
with one ct MIR. b. : fore fingers, about
half an inch below the upper joint; he
dropped the snake, but imm ediateiy
picked 1t up, put it in the cage. and
commenced sucking The wound A
physician was called in and saw the
deceased in three minutes after the &C
cident; his eyes were then red-his
i'Ps swollen and quivering. He said
he should die, and was in the act Of
falling, when he was assisted to bed.
In ten minutes afterwa,d every mus
Gle in the system appeared affected
with twitching which continued I'M
I'll he died. Vomiting commenced in
ten minutes after the accident, aud
continued for an hour. No pulse was
discovered after thirty minutes from
the time the occurrence took place
He appeared TO be sensible Of all that
was passing until about two hours be-
fore his death.at which time his breath
ing became more difficult, which con
tinued to increase until he breathed
bis LAST. He died in six and a half
hours from the time the poisonous fang
entered hls flesh--a melancholy in.
stance OF human folly.
CRIME and as consequences. "A Young
man attempted Co commit suicide by
cutting his throat with a pen knife. al
Primers hotel, in Cherry street above
Sixth. on Thursday morning, the e4tn
ult. The circumstances of the case. as
lar as we could learn them. we're these.
The young man. named George w.
Brannan. had been entrusted with
sum Of money. which he was 60 carry
to Worcester from a eighboring town
~ Massachusetts. Instead Of dis.
charging the trust, he sbsoondcd and
came south. lie arrived ~ this CITY
on Wednesday evening; early on
Thursday morning he went down %
the wharf TO take passage for Balti.
more: the steamboat had left a few
minutes before his arrival. On re
turning, be met m Second street. the
gentleman whom W. he'd defraudcd Of
the money. With sheriff. Who had &C.
compauied hifa fr.r Nqs.nehusrffs -
They went With hio 10 The hottl ~
Cherry street. and the miserable Young
nan Promised to restore the money
To- 'is "wner; for Which purpose they
both "eht into the chambel where tic
servant had conveyed the trunk. ~ bich
Brennan uRlo, krd. and seizing a pen.
KNIFE, cut hIs throat. The gentleman
threw his ARA. around him ~ prevent
iortbcr mischief. and called Tor help.
+ he young nan VS. conveyed 10 the
Hospital. where u - believed. he NAV
lrecovef--and that ~ the result ol hIs
enme--rcfbaps his h,si crime.
~ ~ ~ 8 Cc- "s