Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1855-07-05
From the Mississippi Journal.
A frightful Snake story.

The following incident was related to us
the other day by one whose veraci;y is un-
questioned, and who was an eyewitness Of
the fact. 1t is more appalling than any we
recollect to have read in the history Of these
reptiles:
Some time last summer the inhabitants
of Manchester, Mississippi, gave a barbs-
cue. which was attended by most of the
fashion and beauty OF the town and sur
roundingcountry. Ithappened that among
the guests there was a young lady, Miss
NJ, recently from one of the eastern cities.
who was on visit to her relations in the
neighborhood of the town.
Miss. NJ. was a gay and extremely fash
lonable young lady. and withal possessed
an uncommon share of spirit and courage,
except in the matter of snakes, and of those
she had so great dread that she scarcely
dared to walk anywhere, except in the most
frequented places, for fear of encountering
them. Every effort was used, but without
avail, to rid her OF her childish fears. They
haunted her continually, until a. last it be-
came the settled conviction Of her mind that
she was destined to fall victim to the fangs
of rattlesnake. The sequelwil show how
soon her terrible prcsentiment was fulfilled
Towards the close of the day, while scores
OF the fairy feet were keeping time in the
dance to the music, and the whole compa-
nv were in the full tide of enjoyment, a
scream was heard from Miss NJ, followed
by the most agonlzing cry for help. The
crowd gathered around her intensely, and
beheld her standing, the perfect image Of
despair. with her hands grasping a portion
of her dress with all the tenacity of a vice.
1t was sometime before she could be rende-
red sufficiently calm to tell the cause of her
alarm; and then they gathered from her
broken exclamation that she was grasping
the head of snake among The folds of her
dress, and feared to let 60 her hold for fear
of receiving the fatal blow. This intelli-
gcncc caused many to shrink from her, but
most of the ladies, for their honor be it told,
determined not to leave her in her extrem
ity.
They besought her not TO loose her hold,
as safety depended on it, until some one
could be found with courage 10 remove the
dreadful animal There were none of the
ladies however to perform the act, and the
situation of Miss NJ was becoming more
and more critical every moment. 1t was
evident that her strength was failing fast,
and that she could not maintain her hold
many minutes longer.
A hasty consultation among the calmest
of the ladies was held, when it was deter
mined that DR.. Tson, who was present,
>nul1 ha collaH N fhaIr assistance He
was quickly on the spot, and being man
of uncommon courage, he was not many
minutes within the circle of weeping and
half-fainting females, until he caught the
tnil of the snake and wound it round his
hand to make sure of his hold
He then told Miss M. that she must let
60 at the momenthe jerked it away; and to
make the act as instantaneous as possible,
he would pronounce the words one, two,
three, and at the moment he pronounced the
last word, she must let go her hold, and he
doubted not he could withdraw the snake
before it would have time to strike. All
stood in brcathlcss horror, awaiting the act
of life or death; and at the moment the word |
three was pronounced, the doctor jerked
out the largest and most diabolical looking
hustle that was ever seen in Mississippi
The whole affair was then explained. The
fastenings of the machine had become loose
during dancing, and it had shifted its posi-
ton in such way that it dangled about the
ladv's limbs, and induced the belief that it
was a snake with an enormous head.
The docto, fell right down in his tracks,
and fainted-he did.