The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-06-17
A SERPENT-TONGUED INFANT,
TIvERroN, LR. u May %, 1897.

1NERION, H. l. May ~, 1901.
l embrace the earliest opportunity to
make you acquainted with such of the facts
as have come to my knowledge relative to
the "serpent-tOngated infant' of which we
had casually heard, just previous to my de-
parture for Block Island. Quite unexpect-
edly, day before yesterday, found myself
in the very neighborhood of this strange and
wayward production of nature. My en-
riosity, as you may well suppose, was
greatly excited, and confess l felt an in
tense anxiety to examine for myself an OBJ
ject which began to excite so much inter-
est in the neighborhood of its occurrence.
MI. T., a worthy old gentleman in
the vicinity, a former acquaintance ofmine,
with whom accidentally met kindly offered
to accompany me to Mr.. WIS the father
of the unfortunate child. We reached there
about 0 o'clock this morning, and were
received very courteously by Mr.. W
and his interesting young wife. After an
ageeable introduction, my aged friend stated
the object of our visit, and the desire had
manifested to see their unfortunate little
child ofwhom had just heard. MIR. W
informed us that for several weeks he had,
in almost every instance, declined admitting
strangers, as he thought their presence had
an unfavorable effect upon the child, but as
| had come considerable distance out of my
way, he was disposed to crafty my wish,
the more especially as he thought might
give him some advice in relation to the
course he ought, in future to pursue. We
were then invitedinto adjoining room, in one
corner of which we beheld, tied in small
low chair most horribly emaciated little
child apparently about 2 years old. am
aware that | shall totally fail in giving you
any thing like an adequate idea of the miser-
able object before US. Imagine, ifyou can,
an infant, or mere child, of about the age
above supposed, reduced to very skeleton,
hairless, and covered with parched and
shrivelled skin, dark and unelastic as the
corresponding structure in the withered oc-
togenarian. Its little red, fiery eyes, rolling
restlessly, in the deep recesses of its flesh
less sockets, sent forth horrid flashes of
indignation, when the door to its apartment
was thrown open.
in the place of its tongue, and for a tongue,
SerpentS head and neck were thrust out,
vibrating and Kissing with an intensity to
the venomous varieties of that repulsive spe-
ces of animated nature! / could not, for
several minutes muster sufficient courage
to approach the object of my curiosity.
was fixed TO the spot which | at first
occupied, while the serpent headed tongue
continued to dart forth and recede with the
quickness Of thought, its little forked and
fiery tongue at the same time playing about
the fps and nostrils of the child, equalling
in velocity the lightning's halsh! Mr.. w.
the father, gradually approached the child,
all the time speaking very soothingly to it,
and in a few minutes succeeded in producing
quiet the head receded, the lips closed
over it, and the infant exhibited the aspect
only of extreme emaciation. But the mo-
ment moved towards the child, even but a
single step, the mouth would open, the head
suddenly dart forth; and the same dreadful
spectacle have already imperlectly describ-
ed, would be again pesented. The father,
however, beckoned me to approach which
did, but never shall forget the tremendous
kissing which came from the serpent-headed
tongue of the little sufferer. 1t was several
minutes before quietude could be produced,
and even then the slightest motion on my
part would cause an instantaneous protru-
sion of the unsigthly organ; accompanied
by Kissing sound more or less intense accor-
ding to the fears of the the child.
| had several fair opportunities of seeing
the strange member, and will endeavor to
give you a description of it. Its color is a
dark copper, shining, and in places incli-
ming to streaks of green. It's eyes are jet
black, and when the light strikes them