Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-11

]
With his best following.
LAIurfreesboro Sews.l
The Triune Snake story EeIiPsed
by = Live snake 2z inches long, ex.
ITacted from the stomach OF a WO-
man, after being there years
For many months past, it has
been reported, that a young lady
living near Christiana in this coun,
ty, was afflicted in very singular
manner, and a great nanny said,
was possessed either of a devil, OF
reptile of some character, which
was located in her stomach. Many
had been the remarks thereabout
some atiruifn It's possibility, While
others sshooted" At the bare men
ton of such q thing. The inter
est had continued to increase in
regard to it, until at different times,
most all the physicians in that
end of the comfy had visited the
afflicted young lady, and we might
say without exaggeration, two
thirds of the people of the same
section. The grand elimination,
however, was reached sn Friday
night last, Goth of June, by its
extraction from the stomach of
the girl by DR.. J. NJ. Burger, of
/ the heretofore mOoted "thing"
which was nothing more or less
than
LIVE SNAKE, 3 INCHES LONG,
ind two thirds an inch in diam
eter. Knowing the great interest
Z would naturally excite, not on
I w in this but other countries, and
being DESTROYS of furnishing our
leaders with a true and authentic
account of the whole affair, We
dispatched our inquisitive report
er on Tuesday to the scene of
action, with orders not to return
until had fathomed the whole
thing, add ascertaining it's truth and
veracity, which is here given
At 1915 we arrived at the
residence of Dr. ]. NJ. Burger, 9
miles South of Murfreesboro on the
ShelbyviIIe pike, where we found
already assembled, some twenty
five ladies and ten or fifteen men,
who had come to get
VIEW OF THE REPTILE,
and satisfy their own minds of
the truth or falsity of the "great
snake tale" After following our
way up stairs into the apart
ments of the now famous NJ. D.,
and being heartily welcomed by
him the following dialogue en-
sued:
Rep.-Well, DIR. l have come as
the reporter of the News to ascer-
tain all the facts connected with
the life, character and Affections of
Miss Thankful Taylor, and more
especially the part you took IN
extracting from her the reptile.
Dr. am glad to see you, sir,
and will gladly give you the ben
eft OF any information l may pos
soss upon the subject.
Rep.-You are probably aware
DR.. it has created quite sensa-
ton in this part of the world, and
a great many4ook upon it as anOth-
er 'Triune snake story" and that
your brethren of the Medical pro-
fession especially, look upon it
with great doubt.
Dr.-Yes, sir, l am aware OF
that fact, and think it not at all /
strange, for the masses generally |
to look npon it in that light, but
am somewhat surprised that the |
medical profession should look /
upon it as so marvellous, when MIR. |
Wood in his work on practice, vol /
l. page 6S2, distinctly lays it down /
that it is nothing very unnatural
to find in the stomachs of human .
beings, lizards, scorpions, snakes /
and other reptiles, and they alive.
But l ON satisfied the public gener-
ally will, when the case is thor
oughly Investigated be satisfied it
is nothing so marvellous as not to
be believed, and if It should be-
come necessary to substantiate my
statement, and that of the other
eye witnesses, shall do so with
such an array of circumstances and
parties who have seen "the thing"
that troubled her, which we will
now call a snake, that the most
incredulous will be convinced.
Reps it not being alive in
compatible with the theory of the
gastric juices?
Dr.-In theory it may be, but
we are all familiar with the fact
that worms 1--we in ia stomach,
and are not digested u after ey
are killed by calomel some 9th
er such physic. l oniy cite this
simple instance as it is familiar to
all.
Rep.-What is your opinion as to
how it got into her stomach
DR.. l hardly have one. Three
modes present themselves to my
mind either of which, if my theO-
~ be correct, is possible LIST, it
may have been taken in the germ
and grown up; I'd, It may have
been swallowed by her when quite
small in water or Sd, it may have
crawled into her mouth while
asleep, as l understand from her
family that she was a hard work
ing girl and would sometimes lay
down in the field and fall asleep.
Rep.-What character of snake
do you take it to be ?
DR.. That is a matter of much
oe opinion. Some think
it the common mOccasin, others a
chicken snake, and various other
kinds have been suggested, but l
believe it resembles the common
mOccasin more than any other.
Rep. Have you anything else to
say in regard TO it ?
Dr.-Not Just now, l would like
for you to 90 aud talk to the girl,
and her parents and satisfy your
self fully in regard to it.
About two Hundred and fifty
yards down the lane from the pike
towards the depot, brought US to 4
log hut about lexis, with almost
the entire side open for fire place;
two beds and about 10 or y white
head children, and a general air of
poverty and dirt. We took our
seat upon u wooden stool, just in
front of the afflicted girl, and from
herself CLEANED the following facts
HER NAME Is THANKFUL TAYLOR,
her father Is dead, and her mother
has since married her present hus-
band William Carol. With both
branches there are y children.
Her age is % years, and since her