The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-09-02
FIGHr WITH A RAFrLEsNAKE.
a Fearful scene ana HORRIBLE Death

Clopton (Ala) Correspondence OF the Eufau
la News.
On last Saturday morning / was th
witness of such a scene as l pray. GoC
may never see again. beheld
combat between q young man and
rattleSnake, in which the former wa
bitten and died In ten minutes there
after. The particulars of the terrible
affair are are follows:
On Friday last, a young man named
Graynor asked me to spend the nigh
with him and go cOOn-hunting thC
next morning, to which request
readily consented. We started Ou
about 8 o'clock A. NJ, and near day
the dogs opened on trail in the swamp
of Bear creek. just after sunrise, the
deep baying Of the dogs Informed uS
that the game had taken q tree. We
proceeded to make our way through
the bogs and tangled brush and vines
in the direction Of the dogs, until we
came to a small space Of firm ground
which was covered with low growth
of oak bushes. Here we halted q mo-
ment to listen for the dogs. q
We had hardly paused, when we
were startled by a loud, stranGa rat
tling sound issuing frOnISOeneath a
low, thick bush, within few feet OF
US. Though / had never heard the
peculiar noise before, knew instinct
lively that it was a rattlesnake; and
sprang back in terror, remarking,
GraynOr, let's leave here"
What, s." said he, "are you
afraid ?"
"Yes," said 1, /" am afraid.o
t'Wel!, s., he cody remarked,
81 am going to kill the snake; it
would be a pity TO leave such fine
fellow here. So here goes"
While GraynOF was speaking, ]
caught a glimpse of the snake, which,
as nearly as could judge, appeared TO
be about eight feet in length, and three
inches in diameter in his larger part.
He was lying cOiled up in perfect cir
cles, with his head drawn back in a
terribly graceful curve, his small eyes
sparkling, his slender fOrked tongue
darting swiftly back and forth, and
his brown neck swollen with fatal
wrath, while ever and anon he twirled
lhe warning rattIes in the air, with a
harsh, blOOd-curdling sound.
"For Gods sake, let's CO." said /,
shuddering at the terrible sight.
"Don't get scared" said G.; "iust
climb tree and he won't bite you. 1t
amt every day that q fellow meets
witlfSuch a fine, large snake as this,
and it won't do to lose him."
He had picked up a. small stick
about a yard long, and while speaking
was drawing back the bushes from
above the snake so as to get q sight of
of him. He threw his foot around
over the bushes, and tramped them
down in such manner that the mon
steT was fairly exposed to view; but
just as he did so, and before he had
time TO strike, the snake made a sud-
den spring at him, and / turned my
face away i'm horror. The II fSE9hstant
Graynor exclaimed, "I've got him" "
l turned to look, and with his right
hand he was grasping the snake by
| the neck in such a manner that he
could not bite, while the monster was
gnashing his teeth most furiously, and
/ twisting and writEalg in huge folds
around Graynor's arms. All of sud-
den, in some unaccOuntable manner,
the snake freed hiB head, and quick as
! lightning plunged his deadly fangs
/ into G.'s right cheek when, dropping
on the ground, he glided n few PAGES
and again cOiied himself up, keeping
| his head erect and ringing his fearful
rattles. G.. turned deathly pale, paus-
ed a moment, and then with a little
stick advanced toward the snake. AS
he did so the snake made a spring at
him, but G. struck him with a stick
and knocked him back: A second
time the snake sprung at him and he
again knocked him of with a stick
! but before he could strike a third
blow, the snake had made another
spring and inflicted another wound
in GraynOrs arm. This time Gray
nor again managed to seize the mon
ster by the neck, and dropping the
| st iCk he drew forth the knife with
one hand, opened it willis teeth,
and then deliberately cut Athe
snakes head. Blood spurtcd Nm
the trunk, and q. still graspiDg Vhe
snake, whose huge folds tapped and
writhed around him, turned toward
me, staggered and fell. Irushed up
to him and asked him:
"What in the name of God can ]
do for you? ?"
Nothing" said he calmly, " am
dying. Tell them good" and his
features became frightfully contortcd
his eyes rolled over as if starting from
their sockets, and his black swollen
tongue protrUded from his mouth
Then hefi xed his red, wild, staring
eyes upon me, and heaved deep pier
frame, and thcnSn was still. | was
alone with the dead.
Marking the place as we'll as could
i I 10
on the road, some half a mile distant
from the tragedy. Runners were sem
through the neighbOrhoOd, and in the
course of two hours some twenty o.
the neighbors had gathered. We pro
ceeded to the place, which found nj
difficulty in pointing cut.
Good heavens! what sight me
our view. The face and body had
turned TO a deep purple, and were
swollen to three times the natura
size. presenting the most horrible ap
pearance / had ever witnessed. Tht
snake Law where he had been thrown
and was still writhing.
! A litter of bOughs was hastily con
structed, and with heavy hearts VI
took our way to the residence of hi
parents. I will not attempt to des
. cribe the heartrcmding scene, WheI
they saw the body. Grief like then
cannot be portrayed.
A brave woman has come TO ligh
! in Savannah. Shortly before day
, light the other morning she was ava
keHed by noise on the piazza, an,
OH looking toward the open window
she beheld an unknown man leanin
: forward and peeping cautiously int
the room. Instead of screaming an,
t fainting, as usual with ladies in sue
= cases, she quietly awakened her hus
} band, and then suddenly sprun
t through the door OH the piazza, an
seized the interIOper before he cOul
effect lis escape. Her husband, VIII
=. a .,nnn,