The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-23
Violent Death OF the Big Serpent
near Trfune, Tenn.-He is Skinned
and Stuffed, and is TO be Presented
to President johnson.

ASssA AAhuhcs ACHus-xkS IS DAInHeu
and Stuffed, and fs to be Presented
to President johnson.
TRIUsE, July IA, 1868.
To the Editor of the Bonner:
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 oil, especially as 80 many express
doubts as to the correctness of my state
ment. Even you yourself seem to think I
am only trying the gullibility Of the public.
would not now come to you again, even
with sworn statement, did I not have
proof that will convince the most skeptical,
all burlesques and sensation telegrams to
the contrary notwithstanding "Truth is
stranger than felton," and if man only
believes what he sees, how little Of history
would be recorded. But am able to offer
to doubling public that proof-name ely,
the monster himself in propria persone; /;
for we have him, the very snake that Gre
ated such an uproar. However, I will pro-
ceed with my narrative, and give you q
plain, unvarnished statement Of facts: l
pent had broken the box and cleared for the
woods. This created great deal Of conster-
nation in the community, and all lay low
until toward evening, when the neighbors
got together and devised some means to put
an end to him. On close examination of
the box it was discovered that they had put
defective plank in it, it being wind
shaken from one end to the other, and thus
| when the captive began to surge he soon
started this plank, and was then able to
break out. The hole in the grou nd was now
securely stopped, and every one present
| determined to make it their business to
hunt him up and destroy him. They felt
it necessary for their safety. Strong bands,
well-armed, went together and secured the
woods, beat the thickets, and searched
closely everywhere until they began to de-
spair of success. But when they least
looked for it, fortune smiled upon their
efforts. Some mile and half or two miles
from the den live Mr.. Isaac Nelly and
Mr.. Irvine, close neighbors. Yester-
day morning Mr.. Nelly walked over to Mr..
Irvine's, carrying with him his gun, an En-
field rife. Finding Mr.. Irvine in his field
nearly at the top of the hill at work, he called
to him, and Mr.. Irvine and he seated them
selves ON the fence, with their guns (for no
man now went without one) near them.
Mr.. lrvine's was o common squirrel rifle.
| They had talked some time here, when they
became aware of peculiarly musky odor
pervading the air. They had felt it at first,
but it did not excite their attention until it
became sickening in its power. Mr.. Nelly
| looked around unconsciously to see what
could produce it, and there, within sixty
yards of them, and just above, lay the SER
pent-the object of their dread. Their first
| impulse was to run but after they had in
voluntarily jumped from the fence they
thought better of it, and like true men, as
they are, they determined to fire on it.
| They laid their guns carefully on the fence
the snake never moving-and taking de-
liberate aim, fired at his head. At the
crack of the guns an awful crashing and
slashing was heard, and believing the awful
creature was upon them, they threw away
their guns and fed for dear life; nor did
they stop until they reached the house.
The country was quickly alarmed, and
after good deal Of careful reconnoitering
the spot was approached, to find the serpent
gone, but leaving behind him such great
trail of blood they knew he was badly
wounded. Without difficulty they followed
his trail, and did not proceed more than 200
yards down beside the fence before they
espied him, perfectly limp and dead. But
it took several shots from distance to
convince them of this before they dared to
approach.
The struggle where the monster was shot
must have been terrific, for large bushes
were beaten to the earth, and the ground
was torn up where he had lashed it with
his tail. Great credit is due to the intre-
pidity of the gentlemen who shot him, for
| few would have dared to do it.
Mr.. Irvine quickly brought pair OF
mules to drag him out, but when the mules
caught sight of the huge animal they be-
| came so frightened nothing could hold
them, and they broke and tore away like
mad BY this time great many people
had collected, and they tied chain around
his neck, with running moose, and dragged
him through the field to the big road.
They now found couple Of strong horses
gentle enough, and they with these deter
mined to carry him to Nolensvillc, it being
the nearest point on the pike. Hearing of
these circumstances, |, in company with
Mr.. Ben Johnson, Of this place, started for
| the scene Of action. When near Mr.. Bit
tock's, we met with Esquire Greene going
| to the same point. We had not gone for
before we hove in sight, and here we met
with very serious accident, for no sooner
had our horses caught sight of the huge
body of the serpent than they began to
plunge at such fearful rate as to throw
all three of us Mr.. Johnson and myself
sustaining no injury, but Esquire Greene
received severe dislocation Of the ankle
that will probably lame him for life.
However, we soon reached Nolensyille,
and the question arose, What will we do
with. it? We were anxious to take it to
Nashville just as it lay, but the carcass
would, We knew, become very offensive
from the great heat of the weather. So at
last it was agreed to skin him, and after
stuffng and drying, take him down to the
city for inspection. ] took good survey Of
him, and found his length not so great as
we had imagined, for he was just twenty
nine feet eight inches from tip to tip. His
greatest circumference was thirty and half
inches, and he was just seventeen and a
half inches around the neck, or rather just
behind the head. About ten feet of his
tail had spinous ridge, like that of an al
ligator. His head was the most formidable
part about him, and was truly terrible to
behold, even when dead. 1t was fully
twenty inches across, and was armed with
the most formidable set of sharp small teeth
with four huge tusks. 1t had hole in it
Just under the right eye, from the Mimic
ball, and dent in his neck from the
plancing ball of Mr.. Irvine. Although he
seemed at short distance to be Of a uni
form dark color, on close inspection dis