Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-10-17

From the Bowling Green (Ky.) Democrat. 5th.
Never in our experience as journal
lists has it been our duty to chrsni-
Gle an occurrence more horrid in its
details than the one we are about to
relate.
The sad affair that left widowed
mother childless, and, for the time
being, almost bereft of reason, hap
pened about the 10Th ult., in the ad-
joining county of Allen, a short dis
lance from the Warren county line,
and in the vicinity Of Anthony's
Mill. The heartrending details, as
related to us by persons of uuques-
tionable yeracity, are about these:
Some two months since Mrs.
Blankenship, lady Of respectable
ity, lost her husband from disease,
and was left with three children, two
interesting boys and little infant
girl, just large enough to walk alone
and beguile the lonely hours of the
mother with its innocent prattle. On
the 18th ult., the mother, Mrs.
Blankenship, for the purpose OF
washing clothes, repaired to the
spring branch near the house in the
locality referred to, taking her three
children with her, the house dog fol-
lowed behind. She had been en-
gagged in washing but a short time
when the dog was heard barking in
cessantly on the hill near by. Think
ing that the dog had possibly treed
raccoon or had rabbit at bay, the
two little boys proposed going at
once to secure the game. With the
mothers consent the little fellows
started off in high glee. Alas! bet
ter they had never been born. On
reaching the spot where the dog was
barking they saw short distance
from the dog large object coiled az
the foot of the stump, in a hostile at
titude, keeping the dog at bay. They
looked but a moment. Eager only
to capture the supposed game, and
not thinking of danger, nor knowing
the nature of the prey, they ap-
preached the hideous monster, that
in fatality of attack "outyenoms all
the worms of Nile" The oldest of
the two boys approached first, with
his little hands outstretched, and his
face aglow with the prospect of his
prize, he said, "rll get him, broth
er." One step more, and he rushed
to death more terrible and speedy
than were the tortures of fabled Laa-
coon. With one dart of his forked
tongue, with one death rattle of his
tail, the huge rattlesnake-for it was
nothing less--drew back his scaly
folds and with one dart forward
planted his envenomed fangs in the
flesh of the boy, and left the deadly
poison coursing hot through his
young'veins. Again and again was
the boy bitten by the fatal reptile,
till be fell exhausted in the coils OF
the monster.
The other little fellow rushed for
ward to the relief Of his little broth
er, and he also received the deadly
fangs of the serpent in several
places The screams Of the boys
alarmed the mother, who was still
washing at the branch, and leaving
her baby girl, she ran frantically to
the spot. What sight met her
gaze. Putrid with poison, swollen
and black, and bitten in many places,
one of her boys was already dead,
and the other dying from the same
cause. The snake had crawled away,
and the living boy lived just long
enough to tell the circumstance of
their death. Overwhelmed with an
intensity of agony which mothers
alone can feel, she remained at the
fatal spot a. short time, when she
thought of her little girl at the
branch and hurried back.
On reaching the spot, horrible az
it may seem, she found that the little
girl had walked to the wash tub, into
which she had fallen head foremost
and was drowned, "and it too was
gone" The mothers cup OF misery
was full; not another drop could be
added. Bereft Of children, and al
most of reason, she sank under the
accumulated horrors Of the hour
Assistance was procured the heart
crushed woman, and the remains Of
her nestlings were taken charge Of
and cared for. A short time after q
large rattIesnake. with thirteen rat
ties, was killed near the spot where
the boys were bitten.
The event created profound SEN
sation in the community, and has
scarcely a parallel even in the excit-
ing annals of our early and hardy
pioneers.