Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-28
The Big Serpent near rriuns. Tennessee .u

.o.ts TALLER
The Big Serpent near rriuns. Tennessee.
oA fh TRIuSE, July IA. 1868.
To the Editor Of the Banner:
Ny letters to you on the subject OF the
" big snake" seem to have excited more
attention than l dreamed Of, and | am
sorry / wrote at all, especially as so
many express doubts as to the correct
ness of my statement. Even you your
self seem TO think am only trying the
gullibility of the public. would not
now come to you again, even with q
sworn statement, did l not have proof
that will convince the most skeptical, oil
burlesoues 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 recorded. But am able
to offer to a doubling public that proof
namely, the monster himself in proprfd
persone; for we have him, the very
snake that created such an uproar.
However, / will proceed with my mar
rative, and give you plain, unvarnished
statement of facts: l wrote you on
the 9Th instant that the serpent had bro
ken the box and cleared for the woods.
This created great deal of consterna-
ton in the community, and all lay low
until toward evening, when the nelghbors
got together and devised some means to
put an end to him. On close examina-
ton of the box 1t was discovered that
they had put a 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 ground 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
armod, went together and secured the
woods, beat the thickets, and searched
closely everywhere until they began to
despair 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
a Mr.. Irvine, close neighoors. Yesterday
morning Mr.. Nelly walked over to Mr.. lr-
vines, carrying with him his gun, an En-
field rifle. 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 themselves on the fence, with their
guns flor no man now went without one)
near them. Mr.. Irvine's was a common
squirrel rife. 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 unit 1t 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 serpent
the object of their dread. Their hrst
impulse was to ruR; but after they had
involu untarily jumped from the fence,
they thought better of it, and, like true
men, as they are, they determined 70 tre
on it. They laid their guns carefully on
the fence--ths snake never moving-and
taking deliberate aim, fired at his head.
AT the crack of the guns an awful crash
ing and slashing was heard, and believ-
ing the awful creature was upon them,
they threw away their guns, and lied TOR
dear life; nor did they stop until they
reached the house. :.
The country was quickly alarmed, and
after a good deal of careful accommodating
the spot was approached, to fad the ser
pent gone, but leaving behind him such
a great trail Of blood they knew he was
badly wounded. Without difficulty they
followed his trail, and did not proceed
more than two hundred yards down be-
side the fence before they espied him, per.
fectly limp and dead. But it took several
shots from a 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 we're beaten 70 the earth, and the
ground was torn up where he had lashed
Il with his tail. Great credit is due 10
the inirepidity OF the gentlemeR Who
shot him. for few would have dared to
do IL
Mr. Irvine quickly brought pair Of
mules 20 drag him out. bat when the
mules caught sight Of the huge animal
they became 80 frightened that nothing