The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-09-13


tie Girl said 10 be Fascinated by
Snake.
From the Rochester Union and Adyeriiserl
At half past II o'clock yesterday fore
noon, the little daughter Of B. D. Davis
Of this city. whose familiarity with snak
has been frequently noticed, died at tlp
residence Of her Parents on GENRES rect
The facts connected with her case W
shall state, and leave the public TO draw
their own inference. All that we hav
heretofore published has been strictI,
correct, 80 far as we could obtain infor
ma'ion.
A few weeks since. wien Nr, Davis re
sided on Monroe street, in the outskirts O
the city, near a nursery, where he was en-
! ployed, this IiIlle daughter, less than tw
iyears old. was accustomed 10 90 into ,b
yard or field and play with snake. Ho1
long these meetings had been held befor
the discovery by the mother is not known
At all events The mother one day foun,
the child with the snake in its arms, ant
the little girl was fondliDg it and callinl
it her baby. subsequently the snake WA
seen in the yard, aud would run TO tn
child whenever she was permitted TO @,
out. The child los, its appetite and pinet
away, and constantly talked and though
Of this reptile. Her mother took her dar
ling TO the city 10 divert her mind iron
the hideous object, but in vain. Unde
the advice Of a physician, who was calle,
the snake was not destroyed, and contin
ucd its visits to the premises at viii, re-
treating tn the field when any one bu
the child appeared.
At length Mr.. Davis moved into til
city and took house on Centre street
hoping that the change would be advan
t'geOns to this child and for time sh
improved in health and took her food
Two weeks ago last Friday, the child wa
taken i'll and continued to sink until yes
terday, when she died. She was subjec
TO convulsicn or spasms, which were YER
violent, and at no time could she tax
food and retain it in her stomach. He
mother informs our reporter that she wa
suened by DR.. Fleming, who treated tt
, child on the electrical principle. and ST.
says that be found it difficult case
treat, and expressed The belief that III
snake had taken the electricity from th
system of,he child.
On the day following the Friday o
which the child was taken 80 scriousl
i'll, Mrs. Devins. who occupies the hous
on Monroe street, vacated by Mr.. Davis
called at the house he now occupies an
stat that a German. named Con- Keu
chenbach. had killed the snake whic
had troubled the child on the Cay prev
ous-The Friday on which she was take
ILL., The mother says that when the liul
girl heard the statement. she said "Man
lis baby dead9" and soon became worse
There is not much doubt about the state
ment made so far as the facts are con
cerned. The conclusions and inference
are quite another thing. The snake Kill
ed by Keucbenbach was about three fee
long, and was doubtless the same SIC
by Mrs. Davis and her family repeated
with the daughter. It's being killed I
the time the child became III may hay
been a coincidence e-probably it was.
The child was two y ars aud one mont
old when it died and it was very brigl
and interesting little girl. To what ez
tent it was under the fascinating infiu
ence OF The reptile, we cannot say. W
only give such facts as we have been abl
TO- o'gather. and leave every reader TO max
his own conclusion. We first brougb
this case before the public in the UniIl
and Advertiser, and we have been ridi
culed by other presses for so doing-som
at distance even going so far as to dis
put the whole story, and declare that
was an old tale lstold. 1t is very easy t
deny a statement; but that does not relut
it, All that we have written on this mat
ter has been the result of careful inquir.
and what we have written we believe t
be true. We did not even commence thl
article today till we had sent reporter t
the house OF Mr.. Davis 10 see the famll.
and look upon the corpse Of the child, al
which lie did.