Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-15
In THE tells,
Perilous Situation of Robertson
County Lady.
Terrible Struggle With an Adder
Wonderful Presence Of Mind Under
PeriIOus Circumstances.

PerIIOus Circumstances
Springfield Record, MAY "a.
From reliable gentleman OF Cooper
town DR. K. o. Glover, we get the follow
Ing particulars:
On Saturday, May 2, Mrs. Eliza Wilson,
wife of Andrew WilsOn-who lives some
four miles south of CuopertuWr,=and
daughter Of Robt. Head ISL, ali OF Rob
ertson county stepped outside the yard
into The edge Of grove to get a tooth
brush, and while in the act of breaking a
twig she felt something move about her
right foot. She stopped forward TO see
what it was when large spreading adder
struck her in the notwithstanding his
fsngs in tho bosom Of her dress. 1t then
dropped back, and to her horror she found
she was on the reptile, near its TAIL Her
first impulse was to rum brs she discovered
that the monster = as himself coiling around
her ankle. She stopped, and, with great
presence Of mind, seized the only oppOr-
tune moment offered, that of putting her
left foot upon his head, which she did,
thereby fastening him securely to the
ground. There she stood, all alone, with
one foot on the reptiles head, while nearly
his whole length-abOut three feet-=was
tightly wrapped around her ankle. She
screamed at the top Of her voice, but there
was no one near enough to hear her voice
or come to her relief. Her husband was in
a distant field blowing, and it being no
later than 8 o'clock, ard having failed to
make any of herneighbors hearhel-some of
whom lived withina few hundred yards--she
stood in suspense-not knowing what to
do or how to act. During her meditations
thousands of thoughts rushed across her
mind, and not knowing but she, in all
probability, was bitten; but after all, so
far, she had been victorious; thus encour-
aged she resorted TO the only alternative
left-which was TO unwrap him with her
hands. She commenced the loathsome ordeal,
the rusty monster writing, with graet
force = unwilling to quit his hold. She
finally succeeded, but another crisis awaited
her. If she let him go he would, perhaps,
rscOil himself around her ankle be-
fore she could disengage her foot from
his head and escape. If she took her
foot off his head while she held him with
her hands he would, more than likely, bite
her before she could release him and es-
cape. With the same presence of mind
and undaunted courage that had fortified
and saved her thus far, she looked around
feet of small sappling-end, with heroic
determination, she resolved to sling his
head against it. She made the effort and
ucceeded-which stunned him so much
that he had but little of life remaining, she
then took stone and mashed his head Off
and escaped unframed. She reports his head
as appearing as broad as her two hands
when he struck her in the bosom; nOtxith-
standing, she thinks she was not much
alarmed until after she got back into the
yard-when she turned sick. She man
aged to get into the house and took dose
of nervous stimulant, which relieved her.
For several hours after her hands and arms
seemed to be swollen and of dark color
which made her apprehensiye that she was
bitten; but finding not the least scratch on
them she was soon content.
To our certain knowledge we never be-
fore heard of case where more courage
and true bravery was displayed by either
male or female.