The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-08-07
THE CAPTURE AND ESCAPE.

I hasten agreeably to my promise, to in
form you of the success we met with in our
attempt to capture the "big snake" The
box was watched at various times through
the day, but nothing was seen or heard of
him until late Monday evening when a
Mr.. Palmore, who lived near, visited it, and
as familiarity with danger lessons fear
having been theresa often and seen nothing
The carelessly threw himself before the
open end, placed his face to it and looked
in, but only looked, for there within three
feet of his face, was a pair of blazing eyes,
like Goals of fire, glaring at him. He didn't
stop to see how large the head was, but
threw himself down the hill with such head
long speed as to catch series of falls, in
one of which he seriously injured his head.
Had itnot been for the accidental visit of
Mr.. Palmore he would very quickly have
taken the bait. But it seems he got scent
oft, for, as the sequel shows he soon came
back. This morning, Mr.. Thomas Burke
got up when it was fairly light, and, while
putting on his clothes he heard the most
singular noise--a low, deep believing,
quickly given, and then crashing sound.
He ran to the door and looked out to see
the cause. 1t was quickly revealed to him,
for, after tremendous crash, as of "a break
ing tree, in the direction of the trap, he
saw the awful monster coming down the
hill with the most frightful leaps and
bounds, writing and twisting his huge
body as if in great pain. He passed across
the road about 200 yards north of Mr..
Burke's, sweeping down the fences and
other obstacles in the pathway. But this
Mr.. Burke did not see, for, with the first
glance at the serpent, consciousness left
him, and he remained for some time in con-
vulsions from the fright. 1t was late in the
day before any one would venture near the
trap, but at last some went up, and they
found it with one end still lying in the
hole, but the other riven as II struck by
lightning, some of the iron bars found fully
fifty steps off Thus the capture is fail
ure, and the serpent is again at large, and
the country excited to the last degree
Many speak of leaving the neighborhood
of the hills, and serious fears are entertained
of the effect on the mind of Mr.. Burke. No
one supposed for moment he would be
able to break the immense cage prepared
for him it would have held a lion. But
we niscalculated his power, and he is free.
VIOLENT DEATH OF THE BIG SERPENT.
TRIUNE, July IA, 1868.
To The Editor Of the Banner:
My letters to you on the subject of the
~Big Snake" seem to have excited more
attention than / dreamed OF, and / am sorry
wrote at all, especially as SO many express
doubts as to the correctness of my state
ment. Even you, yourself think am try
ing the gullibility of the public. would
now come to you again, even with.a sworn
statement, did not have proof that viii
convince the most sceptical, all burlesques
and sensation kilograms to the contrary,
notwithstanding. "Truth is stranger than
fiction" and if man only believes what he
sees, how little of history would be recor-
ded But am able to offer to a doubling
public that proof, namely, the monster
himself, in pa9pria persona /; for we have
him, the very snake that created such an