Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1843-02-16
FRIGHTFUL SNAKE STORY.

OA OlNAAG SAONAs
The following incident was related to US
the other day. by one whose veracity 10 un.
questioned, and who was almost an eye-wit-
! ness TO the fact. II lis moro appalling than
any we recollect to have read in the history
of these terrible reptiles.
Some time last summer, the Inhabitants of
Manchester Mississippi, gave q barbecue,
which was attended by the beauty and fash
ion the town and surrounding country
1t happened that among the guests there was
young lady, Miss M, recently from one of
the eastern cities, who was on a visit 10 her
| relations in the neighborhood of the town.
Miss NJ, was gay and extremely fashion.
able young lady, and with all possessed with
| an uncommon share Of spirit and courage,
except in the matter of snakes and Of these
she had so great dread that she scarcely
dared to walk any where except in the most
frequented places for fear of encoun-
tering them. Every effort was used, but with
out avail, to rid her Of her childish fears
They haunted her continually, until at last
it became the settled conviction of her mind
that she was destined to fall victim to the
fangs of a rattle snake. The sequel will soon
show how terribly her presentiment was full
filled.
Towards the close of the day, while scores
of fairy feet were keeping time in the dance
to the merry music, and the whole company
were in the full tide of enjoyment, scream
was heard from Miss NJ, followed by the
most agonizing cries for help. The crowd
gather around her instantly, the perfect i'm
age of despair, with her hands grasping
portion of her dress with the tenacity of
vice. II was sometime before she could be
rendered sufficiently calm to tell the cause
of her alarm, and then they gathered from
her broken EXPLANATIONS, that she was hold.
ing the head Of snake in the folds of her dress
and dreaded to let 20 her hold for fear of re-
ceiving the fatal blow. This intelligence
caused many 10 shrink from her, but most of
the ladies, to their honor be it spoken, remain
ed with her, determined not to leave her in
her direful extremity, they besought her not
to relax her hold, as her safety depended on
it, until some one could be had who would
have the courage to seize and remove the an
imal. There we're none of the ladies, how
ever, who had courage to perform the act,
an6 the condition of Miss M. was becoming
more and more critical every moment. 1t
was evident that her strength was failing
her hold much longer.
A hasty consultation among the calnest
of the ladies was held, when it was determ-
ined that DR.. Tisan, who was present, should
be called to their assistance. lie was quick
ly on the spot and being man Of uncommon
courage, he was not many minutes with the
weeping and half.fainting females, until he
caught the tail of the snake, and wound it
firmly round his hand to make sure of his
hold. He then told Miss M. that she must
let go the moment he jerked il away, and to
make the act as instantaneous as possible, he
told her he would pronounce the words one,
wo, three, and that, at the moment he pro.
nounced the last word, she must let go her
mold, and he doubted not he could withdraw
he snake before it could make the strike
All stood in breathless horror, awaiting the
act of life and death, and at the moment
he word three was pronounced. the Doc
or pulled out the most diabolical look
ing BUSTLE that ever was seen in Mississi-
ppi ! The whole affair was at once explain
ID. The fastnings of the machine had be-
come loose during the dancing, and it had
shifted its position in such way that it dam
,led about the lady's legs and induced the
belief that it was snake with an enormous
lead
The Doctor fell right down in his tracks
and tainted he did, ayes, faith he did," sa id
Pat "for seed him with my own eyes,
Hannibal Journal.