South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1867-10-18
T'ro Chitfrcn Bitten by Il Raulesqals a,l
q Thirf Drorn~d In he SINE UJnr.

FROM the Bowling Green ~ Democrat Oct. ;.
N'vcr II our experience as purn lists has
1t been our duty t. chronicle an occurrence
more horrli IL its details thlu th,o1. w.
arr about to relate
Iae 81 a|iir that left wi l1w.l m ,il-
or cl,ldlcss, and Tor the tim, bcin, aim ~
bertf, OF reason, hIppened about tn. I,;,h
ult in the adjoining county of Allcn =
short distance from the Warren county limo
an Ia the vicinity of Anthrny's mill. The
heart-rcn ling details as related to Il, by
persons Of unquestionable ycracity. are H.
bout these: Some two months since NJ,
Hl.n&onship, lady Cf res2e t4blitv. To-,
her Husband from disease, ana was left viii,
three children, two interesting bows r,1 =
little infant girl, just large eanu ..h f. W II,
alone and bcguile the lonely hours oC ,h.
mother with It's innocent prattIe. q, tho
18th ult., the mother, Mrs Blank dim
Tor the purpoce of washing clothes. rcplir.
eI to the spring branch near the house j.,
the locality referred to, taxing her three
children with her, the house d. following
behind. She had been en- tagcd in W, shin,
but short time when tn, do, was hc,rj
barking necessarily on the hill near bv
Thinking that the dog had possibly tr,c! g,
rraccoon or had RABBIT at bay, the two little
boys PROPOSED going at once to secure In
game. wish the mothers consent the lit
tie fellows started Off in high glcc. Ala, I,
Better had they never been born On reach
inG the spot where til dog WIS blrkinr they
saw short distance from the dog a I,rte
object cJilcl ut thu foot Of stump. in q
hostile attitude, keeping tn, d,g at bly.
They looked but am1ment Eyer o1lv t.
capture the supposed gIm", AL not tlia,
ny OF danger, nor knowing TIA, nature oc
the prey, they approached the Il; l.ous IN m
ser that IN fatality Of attack "ou.ve-om,
al the worm Of Nile" The Oldest Of the
two boys approached first, with HE liffl,
hands outstfctchel anl his f,c,agljw at til
prospect of his prize, hesul, "I'll get him.
brother OIc step more and he ru he'd to
death more terrible AID speedy than wer,
the torturc5 of flblcl LlacJon. With ono
dlrt % his fJrkcl tongue, with one death
rattle Of bis tail, the hug rat lcsnI kc-r,r
1t was nJthing css-lrcw back his scaIv
folds AM with one dart forward planted his
cnycnomc1 flng' IN the flesh of tho bow.
ana left the deadly poison ciursing hot
through his young veins. Again and ayain
was the boy bitten b. the fatal reptile till
he fill exhausted in the coils of the monster
The other litLIc fellow rushed forward to
the relief of lis little brother, AMI lie also
received the deadly faugz Of the serpent in
several places. The screams Of tic bows
alarmed the mother, who wls still washing
at The branch, aud leaving her b lbs Girl sh,
s.I g.. MI .. .
there met her g1zo Pu'rid with poison,
swollen AMI blIck and bitten in mlny pli-
Gee, ono Of her boys was already dead, and
the other dying from tic same cause. The
snake had crawied AWAY, aud the living boy
lived just long enough to tell the circum-
stances Of their death Overwhelmed with
an intensity Of agony which mothers alone
can feel, she remained az the fatal sp1. a
short time when she bc-thought hcr Of her
little girl at The branch aud hurried back
On reaching The spot, horrible a. IL may
seem, she found that ticl little girl had walk
ed 10 The wa,h-tub, into which She had fall
len mad foremost and was drowned, "anl
it too was gone" The mother. cup of mis-.
cry was full; 20. another drop could be
added Bcrsft Of children AMI almost OF
reason, she sank uuder tic accumulated
horrors Of the hour. Assistance WIS pro-
cured and the heart-crushed woman and the
remains Of her ncs;liugs were taken charge
Of and cared for a short time after a large
ratticsnakc, with thirteen rattIcs, was kill
cd near the spot whore the boys were bitten
The event created profound sensation
in the community, and has scarcely par
alicl even in the exciting annals Of our ear
y and hardy pioneers