Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-07-25


read accounts Of persons having been fascinated
spell bound by snakes, but never knew of an
instance occurring in our vicinity, until day or
two since, and one that we know to be the fact.
A man by the name of O'Aara had small child,
little girl about thirteen years of age, who came
to her death through the influence of snake, one
day last week, under the following circumstances:
O'Mara resides on COpperas Creek, in Franklin
coanty, and but short distance from the Pacific
Railroad depot. Some nine months ago, early
last fall his family noticed this little girl to be
pining away and becoming very weak and pale,
although she had been very heshy and hearty, and
apparently without any complaint of
SICKNESS. By the time winter had fairly set in,
she was wasted away to mere skeleton, but as
soon as the weather became cold she again seemed
to revive. She never complained of being uawell,
and in reply to all their enquiries in regard to her
health, she invariably said she fe.t very WE'LL ONLY
little weak. AS soon spring arrived, she
could not be prevailed upon to eat any vctuals in
her fathers )ase, but would take piece of bread
and butter, or piece OF meat, and 60 out to the
edge of the creek to eat it. The family noticed
her regularly, always go ng precisely to the same
place, and invariably complaining of being hun
gry after her return, when if more victuals would
be given her, she would again return to the creek,
as they thought, to eat.
Finally, some of the n sghbors having heard of
the circumstances of the child's extraordinary
gested to her father to watch her movements,
which h. did last Friday. The child had been
sitting on the bank of the creek nearly all the
forenoon, until near dinner time, when she got up
and went to her fathers house. asked for piece
OF bread and butter and again returned to the
same place she hld been. Her father kept behind
her without making any noise. As soon as the
child was seate, the father 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
apparently very angry, when the child, trembling
Ike leaf, would promptly return the bread to
the monster. The fathe was completely paralizcd,
not being able to move hand or foot, ent artainng
as most Irish persons do, great dreld of snakes,
he felt alarmed for the safety of his child, not
knowing the nature Of the snake the extent Of
the influence on his child. His blood became al
most clogged in his veins, and 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 frig htenel. Her father followed
her, but she refused to answer any questions, and
he then resolved to detain his child at home, but
he was advised to permit her to 90 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 followed her
with his gun in his hand, and as soon as the snake
ulduc HIS appearance, SHOt illut the Hedus
The child swOoned; the snake squirmed and
wound himself around awhile and then died the
child in the mean time recovered from her swoon,
but was Immediately seized with spasms, acting
in a manner resembling the writhng of the snake,
and finally died at the same moment the snake
did, apparently in the greatest agony.
This horrible and at the same time melancholy
occurrence, is the first We have heard of for long
time, and in fact the first we ever knew of where
we cOuld noSitivpv vOuch for its truth and cor-
rectness. We know that there arc persons who
doubt the reality of snake fascination, but if they
entertain any doubts this subject hereafter, the
relatives of this unfortunate little girl can be
found ready and willing to corroborate our state
ment. This should serve as a warning to parents
who reside in the country to be more careful in
watching their children.
We had almost forgot to mention that it was a
black snake, Generally supposed to be harmless,
that is, not poisonous,) seven feet six inches in
length, that fascinated the little girl.-St. Louis
Herald.