Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-11-27
4 Horrible Occurrence.

Never in our experience as journalists has
il been our duty to chronicle al occurrence
more horril in IL details than ihe one We are
about to relate.
The sad ;.ilair that left widowed mother
ch,ldless. and for the time being ar:3ct 5crelt
Of reason, happened about the. 10th ult in
the adjoining county of Allen short distance
from Warren Go. line, and in the vicinity OF
Anthonys Mill The heart-rending details
as related to us by persons Of unqueslcRat,c
ycraci.v. are about these: Some t@o months
since. Mrs. BIankenship, lady of respectable
itv. lost her husband by disease and was lett
with 'Lree children, two interesting boys and
. little inlart girl, just large enough to walk
alone and bcguile the lonely hours oil the
mclhcr with its innocent pra;tie. On the 10th
uit.. tile molhcr Mrs. BIankcnship, for the
purpose Of washing clothes, refalred to Inc
spring branch near the house IN the lech'ity
referred 10, takiI,g her three children with
her, the ho use deg following behind. She
had been crgagc1 in washing hut short
time when the dog was heard barking incess-
antly on tho hill ncar b.. Thinking that the
dog had possibly treed a raccoon or had
rabbi; at bay, the two little boys proposed 60
ing ct oncc 10 secure the game With the
mothers consent tic little fellows started oil
in high glee.-Alasl better had they never
been born. On reaching the spot where the
dog was barking, they saw short distance
from the dog large object coica at the foot
Of stump. in hostile attitude, keeping the
dog at bay. They looked but moment;
Eager.only to capture the'suppoScd game ana
not thinking of danger, nor knowing tine no
turc ofthe prey they approached the hfdeons
monster that in fatality Of attack " outvcnoms
all the worms of Nile The oldest Of the
two boys approached frst:. with his little
hands outstretched and his face aslow at the
prospect of his prize, lie said, "l'll get him
brother" One step more and he rushed to
death more terrible and speedy than were the
tortures of tabled LAGOON. With one dart Of
bis forked tongue with one death.rattle of his
tail, the huge ratllesnake- it was nothing
less-drew back bis scaly folds and with one
dart forward planted his epvcnomed fangs in
the Aesb Of the boy, and left tho deadly pol
son coursing hot through his young VEINS
Again and again was the boy rilten by the
fatal reptile I'LL lie fell exhausted in the coils
Of the monster.
The other little fellow rushed forward to
the relief of his little brother; and he also re-
ceived the deadly fangs of the serpent in seV.
eral 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 there
met her gaze Putrid with poison, swollen,
black, and bitten in many places, one OF her
boys was already dead and the other dying
from the same cause. The snake had cra~led
away, and the living boy lived just long enough
to toll. the circumstances Of their death.
Overwhelmed with an intensity OF agony
which mothers alone can feel, she remained
at the fatal spot short time, when she be:
thought her Of her little girl at the branch and
hurried back.
On reaching the spot, horrible as 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 IL too
was eone.n The mothers cup OF misery was
full; not another drop could be added. Berei'
of children, and almost of reason, she sank
under the accumulated horrors Of the hour
Assistance was procured tue hcart'crushed
woman, and the remains of her little nestlings
were taken charge Of and cared for. a snor
time after large rattlesnake, with thlrteer
rattles, was killed near the spot where the
boys wero bitten.
The event created profound sensation IL
the community, and has scarcely paraiie
even in the exciting annals of our early ant
hardy pioneers.-Bowling Green (Ky.) Dem
ocrat