Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-31

The Charmed Girl and the snake Humbus.
II was stated in our paper of Saturday last
that the father of the " charmed" girl had
been arrested at Boston, (where he was hold
ing his revolving exhibition,) and held to bail
in consequence of the child having been bitten
by the snake, The Boston Times of Thursday
says:
The levees or exhibitions have been held at
Cochituate Hall, and we venture TO state that
thousands OF people have visited the place since
Monday. As might be expected, there was some
among the spectators who were skeptical in
gard 10 the fascination of snakes, and they sCru-
tlnized the performances closely, for the purpose
OF detecting how much sympathy, if any, ex-
listed between the child and the snake. That
there was, and is, but very little, our readers may
infer, when we inform them that the child, from
the commencement of the exhibitions has evinced
a decided repugnance to the snake, even refusing
to touch II until commanded so to do by her pa
rents. On the other hand, the snake also has
manifested the greatest reluctance to participate
in the charm," and Monday inserted its
iangs into the ehild's arm, causing severe pain.
The evidence OF the snakes natural disposition
was witnessed by number of persons who re-
monstrated with the father for enforcing his child
to handle the reptile. He, however, explained
The matter by stating that the snake had been
irrltated, and no further notice was taken of the
affair.
The exhibition was continued until yesterday
afternoon, when large party of ladies and gen
tlemen were present, and the snake was taken
out and handled in the usual manner by the
child The hrst time III the afternoon that the
reptile was taken out it bit the child's thumb
severely, causing it to bleed copiollsly The
" charmed girl" screamed and cried so as to
excite the Indignation of the spectators against
the fathers who repeated the statement that the
ham ,rrt ntnI IT, n IL
been somewhat pacified by promises and threats,
the snake was taken out again very reluctantly
by the child, and again it used its fangs, making
another wound upon the girl. At this the spec
tators refused to allow the exhibition to proceed;
and DIR. Ayers entered complaint against the
father, before Justice Rogers, for unlawfully re-
straning his daugher, and obliging her to partie-
pate in an unlawful, and dangerous occupation
The Justice granted the warrant, which was i'm
mediately served, and the father arrested
Alter an examination he held to bail in
the sum of $500, for trial in the municipal court.
One witness stated that the child said she was
afraid the snake would bite her.
The editor Of the Boston Bee, who visited the
exhibition on Wednesday, also says:
The arrest of the father unknown to but a
few present, and the audience waited, with be-
coming patience, for the exhibition to commence
In the meantime, however, the mother, large
sized ignorant looking woman, exhibited herself
anu hci youngest Il IdL nealtHy boy.
Shortly after the girl appeared. She is pretty,
little, bright eyed girl, and has every appearance
OF being intelligent, and by no means bears the
appearance of being unhealthy as has been repre-
sented. She seated herself by the box containing
the snake, and it required much persuasion on the
part of the mother and man who seemed to be
connected with the exhibition before she would
have anythngnD do with it. On the box being
opened, the girl cautiously seized the snake by
the head and drew it from the box coling it in
her lap. For several minutes she held il in this
position, betraying the utmost fear and nervous
ness. She then took it and laid it over her should
ers and Immediately after dropped the reptile into
its cage, but never for an instant letting ge her
firm grasp of the serpent s neck
During this time the mother sat near the plat
form, and before the entire audience nursed her
babe. Such On exhibition of the absence of the
common delicacies of human nature we never be-
fore beheld, and we regret to say that she found
those OF her own sex who unblushingly sat
| throughout the examination which was bad enough
to render the party TO an arrest for indecent
exposure of the person. A universal hiss, and
cries of "humbug" now rose from the audience.
Several proposed TO throw the snake into the
street, and arrest the whole party interested in the
matter The entire audience left the hall, feeling
that they had been duped by one of the most re-
voting and bare-faced humbug exhibitions that
ever disgraced this any other city. 1t was the
unanimous opinion Of many intelligent gentlemen
present that not the slightest magnetic influence
now exists between the child and the snake, but
on the contrary, the child seems to fear and dread
communication so revolving to human nature.