Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-09
VOL. iXXXV. iIgasa.3 a,ga .aa} g9s g..
bog lieI,uI q gdaL I-.Ta7l ID :
FRHGHTFUI. DEATH.
a m an Dies from q Rattiesnake Bite
He Eats Part of the Reptfle to save
Hfs Effe-HOrrtbie scene sHh -tsfHF ~

Amans Dies from a Rattiesnake Bite
| He Eats Part of the Reptile TO save
I HIS Lffe-IOrrtbie scene. ~. 5.,' -
IlGreen Briar Springs (vs.) Correspondence Of the
dog fq9a vBaitimore Gazette.If ,NiIi4AkO
A great excitement has been created by
the appearance of a,snake-eharmer with o.
tame rattlesnake in his hand. He walked
deliberately into the parlor one day after
dinner' fourished the reptile around and.
finally placed him on the ground, TO- the
great annoy ance of many people who 1eftthe,
room. The fangs OF, the snake had been n1ex-
tracted, but that made the sight of him none
the less shocking to some. There is no beauty
liz. g. rattJcsnake, neither of form or color,
His Nat queer shaped head is positively re-
much they may fancy them as pets, shonld
not be, allowed to- shock tbeT sensibilities
of more nervous natures. While this. man
was here "a circus company. arrived, to
the members of which he exhibited his
snake, To one of them whose business itwas
to feed the snakes he offered this one for
three dollars. but the man. who was said to
be an Arab and whose style of dress, dark
complexion. and 1.-THE figure gave some
reason for the belief refused the offer, and,
considering himself versed IN the ways of
snake life, determined to take one for him
self. So he purchased one from a boy and
commenced to experiment upon it. = For
reptile, like the deaf adder, was deaf to the
voice of the .charmer, charm he never SO
wisely, and when the man least expected it,
and while heIheld0 the snake in his hand,
looking steadily at it, it, darted out its
fangs, struck him twice on the left check
and once on the lower lip. Fis-'e.a - ~
The man immediateiy called for whisky,
hours the limbs began to swell frightfully
and the pain to become agonizing. A doc
tor was sent for, dbut before he came the
man called eagerly for the snake As fs
was brought to him he seized upon it, with
mortal avidity, caught It by the back ofthe
neck with his teeth, shook it as a dog
would shake. a rat, then bit off its head,
spit it upon the floor, and finally ate and
swallowed about four inches of its body
Whether his idea was to cure likefby like;
whether he was only carrying out the, SUI
perstitions of his people; whether he was
simply delirious,1 or whether his nature
had become SO thoroughly impregua-
ted with snake nature, that heiw meret
ly satisfying snake vengeance, it is i'm
possible now to say. He certainly flung
himself upon the ground as soon ash he had
finished devouriDg snake flesh and writhed
and wriggled along the floor, unaided by
arms or legs, after the manner of a crawl
ing reptile.s One was insensibly reminded
OF the wild and curious story of Holmes.
in which the snake influence is made to
control and finally destroy the life of Elise
Venner..g The poor fellow could never tell
his experience. He was drenched with
whiskey, but too late he died in "a hours.
During his last hours he called wildly on
any number ofsSpanish saints, and it was
evident that. though Arab by profession,
the poor fellow was Mexican by birth.
His ultimate end seems to have moved
nobody. On the same day three little ne
gro boys discovered a rattlesnake in the
road One lifted his head with a stick,
while another having made slip-knot of
his neck-tie, and fastened it to long stick,
slipped itoyer the snakes head, or .'dulled"
it,, as they say here, as they would a fish
with a horse-hair moose. They afterward
brough their captive to the spring, where
they were in a high state of excitement and
glee. The snake ratified away fiercely, and
darted out its yenomous fangs vfciously,
but they held him tight and refused to kill
him. He was too precious-a knowing old
negro remarked Why dem l'ere boys
thinks more of dat ting dan dey does of a
two dollar and a. halt gold pieeeD This
seems to be a negro's idea of small for
tune. .a13ze.I1es f..' 's