The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-09-01
The BIg snake InHova.

The people of Hardin county,
lows, are in pursuit of q big snake
there that is killing cattle and swal-
lowing hogs. a reporter of the
Marshalltown Times has gone TO the
hunting scene, and writes:
The stories told of the proves of
this King of Iowa snakes and its
exploits in the neighborhood of its
den are legion. 1t was first seen
about month ago by some young
men, named Hitchcock, who were
nnloading boards preparatory to
building a fence. They threw some
of the boards into q hazel brush
thicket as they were stringing them
along, which disturbed the monster,
who attacked them. Their team.
as soon as the horses got sight of
the snake, ran away, and the young
men followed their example with q
celebrity not to be wondered at. The
boys stories were discredited, how
ever, however, and were thought
to be
"A STIFF"
invented to excuse their carlessness
in permitting the team to run away.
A few days afterwards a farmer,
named Brentz, who lives near
Beaver, found two of his horses
crushed to death and covered with
Shiny substance, not unlike that
with which the boa-constrictor en-
Velopes it prey before swallowing it.
On Thursday of last q man, named
McLaughlin, while driving home
just before sunset with his family,
came across a steer. lying by the
roadside, with its ribs crushed to
pieces, and while he was examining
1t the snake again put in it's appear
ance, causing "Mc" to light out in
stanter.
A BUSTED ENGAGEMENT.
Early last week Miss Reimer, a
school teacher. was out walking
with her betrothed in the twilight,
when the loathsome reptile was dis
tinctly seen but a short distance
away, crawling through a rail fence
which it partly tore down in the eff
fort. Miss Z. tainted. and her tim
Id beau, after carrying her a short
distance, let his fears get the better
of his manhood, and, dropping his
fair burden, took to his heels. The
young LADY Immediately came to
and followed suit. Now, it is said
there is a GOODNESS between that
young couple which promises to
break up the match. The lovers
story that he rushed off for assis-
lance to capture the snake is regard
ed as "too thin" by the lady ana her
friends.
On Wednesday the snake visited
the pens of Mr.. Taylor, some four
miles east of Eldors, and swallow
ed valuable Berkshire SOW, break
ing down one side of the fence of
the enclosure on lis way in.
These and numberless other stor-
les, which could be told if time and
space would permit, attest the fact
that the snake is here. 1t has been
seen repeatedly by intelligent and
reliable parties, ali of whom agree
in placing it's length at from twenty
TO thirty feet, and its thickness in
the middle at the siz5 of a butter
tub. 1t is DARK brown in color aud
has head nearly as big as barrel,
armed with mouth that one tremb-
ling rustic, who has seen it, swears
when open is big enough to ''take
in the front wheel of a buggy"
This last statement, though. may be
taken cum g2'dnO sails.
AS l write, another expedition is
organizing, which will start out to-
morrow, under the lead of the Sher-
if, to make a second attempt to
capture it. As long as it is at large,
of course, a general feeling of inse-
cnrity and terror prevails all
through the country. If to-mor-
rows attempt fails to destroy this
"terrOr," it is stated that a special
session of the Supervisors will be
called, at which a heavy reward for
its capture will be offered.
Two or three agents of menagerie
men are now here DESTROYS of OBJ
tanning the skin if the snake is killed.
You will receive the result of the
huns tomorrow as soon as it can be
obtained. Your reporter will ac-
company the expedition as a volun-
teer aid of Sheriff Gibbs.