The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-25
A SNAKE WOMAN.
A Remarkable Story Strange Conduct Of o
Woman Bitten by a Roptile-Infanticid
and Self. Destruction.

n hemArhuDlo bury strange COnuucJ OF u
Woman Bitten by Roptile-Infanticide
and Self. Destruction
The New York Mercury tells q story of q
snake woman, who was born, and bitten by
a reptile, III North Dorset,Vt. When seven
years Of age the child, who was the daugh-
ter of poor widow, was bitten by u snake
while playing in the field, and went home
suffering intense pain, and with her face
swollen where the poisonous fsngs had en-
tered the temple over the right eye. For
six months there was no apparent change
in her, and then, at the full of the moon,
stream of grcenish matter oozed from the
little Gear tina. had been left by the ser
pcnt's fangs, and the whole disposition of
the child seemed to change. She seemed
pursued by the spirit of the serpent.
STRANGE CONDUCT.
Without the slightest provocation che
would give way to fits of almost uncontrol-
liable rage. AT these times her forehead
would seem 10 flatten, her head would roll
from side 10 side, her eyes would glitter
with strange, fascinating and yet terrify-
ing light, and che would try to bite any
human being that came in her way. Fail
ing in this, she would run out into the
road, and, picking up stones would fling
them with devilsh malignty at those to-
wards whom she wished to vent her rage.
She would continue in this condition for
about week, and then would sepercede a
season of almost death-like inertia, and she
would return to her normal state of cheer
fulness. With each return of the full
moon would come those strange fits, and,
by and by, che came to be known in the
neighborhood as the snake child.
TROY PHYSICIANS INTERESTED.
A physician from Troy, happening to be
at North Dorset during the following sum-
mer, saw the child, and was completely
puzzled ut her case. He wrote 10 some
others of the medical fraternity in this
city. The Troy doctors were batlled in
their efforts to discover the cause and pre-
vtntion of the strange malady with which
the girl was affected, and took her to New
York, but without any different results.
50 deep was the interest taken in her that
a purse was made up, and it was deter
mined to send her 10 Germany, in the hope
that perhaps the Germ an physicians might
be able TO give her relief. A few months
elapsed when letter was received saying
that the child seemed to be improving IN.
der the treatment of a celebrated physician
ct Bonnie, who had taken great Interest in
the case, and that full month had passed
without a return of the malady.
THE SNAKE CHILD FORGOTTEN.
Years passed by, and the snake child Of
Vermont was almost forgotten.
A TERRIBLE END.
But last week one of the physicians who
hal been instrumental in sending hci
abroad happened to be in the Office Of {
New York advertising agency, and, Whilt
waiting for the person whom he had CONF
to see, he took up a German paper lyipl
on the desk at his tide. Being gooC
German scholar, he commenced reading IL
when bis eye was attracted by giapl
describing terrible murder and suicide il
one of the villages of the Tyrol. II die
not take him long to discover similarity
in the description of the young woman WHIT
was the hero of the tragedy to the snake
child of former years. The story related
how this beautiful young girl had teen bit
ten by a serpent IN childhood, and how th'
wound had seemed to change her who'll
nature. Finally she had been brought Il
Germany, and, as it was supposed, curcl
by well krown physician at Bonne. Onl,
year ago she had married young ant
prosperous merchant in Beilin. This sum
mer the young couple had gone on pleas
ure trip to the Tyrol, where the wife CAV
f birth to beautiful child Shortly afte
this circus and menage!ie gave an exhi
bition IN the village in which they were
stopping, and the young couple, with tn
nurse and child, visited tic show. One O
the prime curiosities OF the exhibition wa
a number of American rattesnakes incloset
in glass case. The sight Of these reptile
seemed to affect the woman in most curl
GUS manner. She was rooted to the spot an
gazed upon them as if fascinated. TIL
husband was also shocked and asionishe,
to observe small stream of groenish maj
ter ooZe from slight scar in his wife
, temple. The child was peovish and fret
: full and cried, as children will Tn
mother gave a hasty glance at it, an
quicker than thought dashed her ham
D through the glass case, and, selling one c
the writing reptiles, applied It's mouth
the child's forehead The husband spran
forward in an agony Of terror, and seize
his wiic's arm, but IT was too late, for tn
c venomous reptile had bitten the child
;. There was great excitement in the show
:, and a general scattering Of the Grove
: That night the child died, and as it lay i
d its little bed, its poor body bloated an
swollen from the poison, the mother be,
over it, kissed its checks, and thea, befoi
she could be stopped, seized a knife from
u table standing by. Her eyes glistenet
n and her forehead, so the bystanders sail
G seemed to tlalten. While they were wol
!, dering what she was about to DO, RI
:, raised the knife, and, with quick and d
termiued motion, plunged it into her hear
e and fell dead on the floor. Such lie t.
Il strange story. Who are the Troy phys
clans that attended the snake-chld?