The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-08-17
HeRRID EXPERIMENT.
A West Indian Snake Charmer's Fatal Con-
test With RattIesnake.

test With a Rattlesnake.
Yesterday afternoon a queer, repulsive
looking mortal came bowling down Main
street. Reaching the corner opposite the
Court House he staggered momept and
then rolled himself, bowling, upon the
door of Ebersold's restaurant. Here he
exhibited a bleeding hand and an
nounced that he had been bitten by
rattIesnake. This fellow, who gives his
name as George Noble, is native of Ja-
maica, and spent large portion of his
life In the West India Islands, where he
became Voudoo doctor. When he ar
rived here, two or three days ago, he
brought with him valise, which, on
being opened, presented the inviting
prospect of a mass of twining, writing
snakes, all little yellow and spotted fel-
lows, such as may be seen at almost any
time In and about farm-houses, barns and
garden patches, all apparently harmless.
It is the habit of this repulsive-looking
wretch, when entering the cabin of a pa
tent, TO turn loose his swarm of reptiles
over the bed, and while they were wig
Cling and writhing over the floor to re-
peat his incantations and apply his nos
trums and medicines, most OF which is
composed of oils made from snakes, liz
ards and other reptiles. He is held IN
perfect awe and respect by a certain class
of people who fear his power and respect
his skill. Yesterday about 1 o'clock he
went to the Office Of Prof. Jefferson,
the colored doctor on Fifth street, near
the Lindell Hotel, and inquired whether
he had snake. Jefferson said he had
one or two live specimens of the rattle
snake family, and at once showed the
tJreign looking visitor glass case con-
tanning a rattlesnake three Or four feet
In length, with one or two young rattlers.
The Voudoo doctor admired the horrible
looking reptile, and announced his IN
tention and desire to purchase 1t. He
said he was a snake-charmer, and that he
wanted just such snake as that with
which to inspire respect among his pa
tients. Prof Jefferson informed his
visitor that his snakes we're not for sale.
But the more the Voudoo doctor looked
at the huge, writhing reptile in its glass
box, the more importunate he became
for its purchase. Finally he asked per
mission to handle and play with the
snake. This was reluctantly granted by
Prof. Jefferson, who repeatedly told
the foolhardy fellow that the snake would
bite. The doctor opened the trap-door
and inserted his hand, and seized the
reptile by the neck and drew the startled
snake forth. Nearly every one fed IN
horror and dismay. But the snake
charmer seized the now angry snake by
the head and proceeded to repeat has
strange incarnation. Suddenly the re-
pulsive-looking reptile gave an angry
rattle, and in a minute had twisted itself
from the grasp of the West Indian doc
tor, and turned and planted its fangs IN
his right thumb, near the end. Then
again it seized him in the feshy portion
of the thumb, near the hand, and tore
open cash, at the same time planting
load of deadly venom In the flesh. The
doctor, startled by this attack, attempted
to teer the now enraged reptile from his
hand, but it writhed itself around his
arm and neck, and for a moment 1t batf1ed
all attempts of the doctor to return 1t TO
its cage. He retained remarkable pres
ence Of mind during the contest, and sue
ceeded IN placing his deadly antagonist
in the box aud closed it. He then called
for string and tied it tightly around
the bitten thumb, and started out for re-
lief. He persistently refused all medical
aid, saying that it would destroy the
charm and he would die; that Voudoo
would save him. When told by the doc
tors, Day and Harris, that he would die
if he did not allow himself to be treated,
he said, "Well, let me die. I can only
die once" He allowed himself to be
filed with whisky, and at last reports
had been taken to cellar on Third street,
where he was slowly dying in the most
horrible agonies. The hand and arm
were terribly swollen, and as blue as in
digo. The colored people on Third
street were much excited over the event.
There were those in attendance on the
crippled Voudoo doctor who believed
and assured our reporter last night that
he could "chaw up de paper and spit
out greenbacks, an chaw de nickels an
spit out de gold pieces" OF course,
such man as this, who could sleep with
snakes all the time, would not die from
the bite of a twelve-year-old rattlesnake.
kansas City (lfo.) Times.