The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-07-24
THE GATE CITY
Death ~ tAs Msnster.

TIM mo u &u4BS0GB 1NAAD.
Death ~ the Monstsr.
IL siil Bannsr.
I~retsy suy % 1hSssh inss., that the ser.
peut had broken the box and cleared for tbs
woods. This created great deal OF conster-
nation in the community, and al lay low IN
til evening, when the neighbors got together
and 0eyissd seme means 70 put IN end 70
hin Il 134 y c1oae exAasinati0a 81 the BOZ,
il was discovered they had put detective
plank in il, it being .Hind-shaken from one
end to the other, and thus, when the captive
began to surge, be started this plank. ard was
asIe % brsxk DOT, The hols in the ground
was now securely stopped, and every one pres
ent determined 20 make it their business to
hunt him up and destroy him. They felt it
necessary for their safety. Strong bands,
woods beat tn thiskets, and searched close
" every where nndl they began to despair Of
success. But when they least looked for it
fortune SMILED upon their efforts. Some
mile snd 4 half or two miles from the den
live Mr. Isaac Nelly and Mr. Irvine, close
nishbors. Yesterday morning. Mr.. Nelly walk
ed over to Mr.. Iryine's carrying with him his
gun, An Enfield rifle. Finding Mr. Irvine in
Els field, ssaTly q ihs top of the hill, atawork,
he called to him, and NJ. Irvine and he seat
ed themselves on the fence. with their guns
{for no man now went without one near them.
Mr.. Ifvine's Was 4 common squirrel rife.
They had talked some time here when they
became aware Of pAculiariAly musky ordor
pervading the air. They had felt it It frst,
but it did mot excite their attention until it
become sickening in its power. Mr.. Nelly
looked around unconsciously to see what
could produce it, and there within, 10 yards
Of them, just above lay the serpent, the OBJ
jsct Of their dread. Their first impulse was
TO run; but, after they had fundamentally
jumped from ths-fancs, they thought better
of it, and, like truemen a. they were. they
determined to FIRE upon it. They laid their
guns carefully on the fence the snake not nov
ing, taking deliberate aim fired at his heard
Al the crack Of the guns an awful crashing
and smashing was heard believing the awful
creature was upon them, they threw away
their guns and aed for dear life nor did they
stop INIT, they reached the house.
The country wss quickly alarmed, aud.
the spot WAS approached, to find the serpent
gone, but leaving behind him such great
trail Of blood they knew he was badly wound
ed. Without difficulty they followed this'trail
and did Isptprteaed more than two hundred
yards down beside the fence before they es-
pied him. perfectly timber and dead. But il
took several shots from distance to convince
them Of this before they dared to approch.
The struggle where the monster was shot
must have been terrific, for large bushes were
beat to the EARTH and the ground was torn
up, where he had dashed it with his tail.
Great credit ia due to the intrepidity of the
gentlemen who shot him. for few wonld have
dared il.
H.. ILL L. -.
to drag him off, but when the mules caught |
sight Of the huge animal they became so
frightened nothing could hold them, and they |
broke and tore away Hike mad. By this time |
= great many people bad collected and they |
tied rope around his neck with running |
moose and dragged him through the field to
the big farm. They>now found a couple of
strong horses near enough. and they with |
these determined to carry him to Nolensville.
it being the nearest place on the pike. Hear
ing Of these circumstances, III company
with Mr.. Ben. johnson Of this place, started
for tie scene Of action. When near Mr.. Bit
tocks', we met Esquire Greene, going to the
same point. We 1. not gone far before we
hove in sight, and nere we met with very
serious accident for, no scorer had our hor-
ses caught sigh. Of the huge body Of the ser
pent, than they began to plunge at such
|
md myself sustaining no injury, but Esquire
Greene received severe dislocation OF the
ankle, that will probably lame him for life.
H0~ever We soon reached Nolensvlle, and
The question rose what shall we do with it?
We were anxious to take it to Nashville just
ss it lay, but the carcass would, we knew, be
come very offensive from the great heat of the
weather. So at last it was agreed to skin him
and after stuffing and drying take him down
% the city for inspection took good sur
vey of him and found shis length not so great
rs we had imagined for he was just % feet
; inches from tip to tip His greatest circum
rance was 800 inches, and he was just II
inches around the neck, or rather just behind
he head. Ahoutten feet ofhs tail had a SPIT
-ous ridge like that of an alligator. His head
VAS the most formabe part of him, and was
ruly terrible TO behold. even when dead II
was fully 90 inches across, and was armed
with the most formidable set Of sharp, small
teeth. with four huge tusks. 1t bad a hole in
/ just under the right eye, from the mimic
ball, and had dentin his neck from the
2lancing ball Of Mr.. Irvine. Although he
seemed at short distance to be of uniform
dark color, on close inspection l discovered
be WAS spotted like rattle snake, indiamond
spots, and his belly was Of bright blueish
black color. We cut him across the middle
md skinned him both ways, thus preserving
the head hole. It was then well sa,ied and
lined, and the ends we're well sewed togeth>
or, and then BY inserting Mr.. Simpsons bel
lows, We inflated the monster to its full size.
We will let it dry in this fix, and then stuff it
Nth aawdust