The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-08-10

A CHILD FASCINATED BYA SNAKE.-The
editor of the st. Louis Herald relates an in
stance of a child being facinated by black
snake, seven feet six nches long, and vouch
es for the truth of the story. The child it
is said, was little daughter of man nam
ed O'Mara, about l3 years of age, resi-
ding in Franklin county, Mo. About nine
months ago, the parents observed the child
to be pining away, and becoming very weak
and pale, without apparent cause. By the
time winter had set in, she was mere
skeleton, but began to revive with the cold
weather. AS soon as spring arrived, how
ever, she could not be prevailed upon to
eat any victuals in her fathers house, but
would take piece of bread and butter, or
piece ofmeat and go out to the edge of
the creek to eat it. The family noticed her
regularly, always going precisely to the
same place, and invariably complaining of
being hungry after her return, when, if
more victuals would be given her, she
would return to the creek, as they thought
to eat Finally, her father determined to
watch her, and followed her as she pro-
ceeded to the bank of the creek. We now
let the Herald tell the rest of the story:
GAS soon as the child was seated, the IA
ther saw huge black snake slowly raise its
head into her lap and receive the bread and
butter from her hand; and when she would
attempt to take bite of the bread, the snake
would commence Kissing, and become ap-
parently very angry, when the child, trem-
bling like leaf, would promptly return the
bread to the monster. The father was com
pletely paralysed, not being able to move
hand or entertaining great dread of
snakes, he felt alarmed for the safety of the
child, not knowing the nature of the snake
or the extent of the influence on his child.
His blood became almost clogged in his
veins, and be groaned in perfect agony,
which caused the snake to become alarmed
and glide away into the creek The child
then Immediately sprang to her feet and ran
home, apparently much frightened. Her fa-
ther followed her, but she refused to an
swer any questions, and he then resolved
to detain the child at home, but he was ad-
vised to permit her to go again next day
to the creek, and to follow her and kill the
snake. Next morning she took piece Of
bread again and went out to the creek, her
father followad her with his gun in his
hand, and as soon as the snake made its,
appearance shot him through the head.
The child swooned; the snake squirmed
himself around awhile, and then died,
the child in the meantime recovered from
the swoon, but was Immediately seized
with spasms, acting in a manner resembling
the writhing of the snake, and finally died
at the same moment the snake did, appa-
rently in the greatest Of agony.
The Herald, fearful that it will be set
down as "snake story" reiterates that il
is true and says the relatives of the little
girl will corroborate the statement. That
there is good deal of exaggeration in the
;; above and absolute delusion, there is no
doubt The ideaof snake charming is long
ago exploded, though it is not doubted thai
the morbid fears of persons often lead them
into acts, under such circumstances, which
: are lamentable and sometimes even fatal.