West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-06-29

Ipoun occupied by NJ. Helios, the
/ Parsee
He never fastened his door.
Monsieurv'
sake" '''
Monsieur"
Some milk, for Heavens sake. i'm a
plate Ii Is matter of life or death -
waters I'm these winter hotels are ac-
customed to very strange requests and
therefore, the man, with a civil afIirma-
1--WE, went down stairs, soon returned
with the plate of milk, and entered the
room. bearing light.
Set IL down on my breast " said tho
Parsee, In a low voice.
The wondering man did as he was
hidden.
1t was only after he had done so that
he saw small brown snake coiled upon
the Parsee's left arm.
It's horrid eyes were fixed upon his
beating jugular artery.
he waiter, paralyzed, could not move.
The strange attraction for milk which
0Gvercomes all small serpents is well
known.
Neither man moved.
Gradually the cobra turned it's head
Neither man moved. When the cobra's
head was dipped in the milk, the Parsee
knew he might move.
A sudden dart of his itself much
like serpent-and the cobra was
gripped, and being strangled.
Then suddenly there was cry. and
the Parsee began to laugh.
He had become raging madman
h.,
awful. When relief came, that arrived
which, from an English point of view.
is worse than death-insanitv.
Nothing was ever clearly ascertained
about the matter beyond these facts.
The Indian found by the hotel servant
IN the room was ascertained TO be living
in the adjoining house, separated from
the Parsee by mere wall This Indian
had access To the roof, out upon which
cropped the stove-pipe from the Parsee's
room.
The inference was that he had visited
the room in order To n, move the door of
the stove, that he might be able to pass
the cobra down the stove-pipe, when il
would wriggle its way into the room.
That this was so appears To have been
proved by the fact that a strange bit of
mating was found on the roof. and
which was similar to that of a basket
KEEP. in the Indians room, and i'm box,
always locked, and which had holes
bored in the lid.
The explanation WAS now found for
the fact that the Indian bought many
small birds and fancy mice, of which
nothing more was seen. They were to
feed the cobra.
But why this precaution? Why was
not the serpent left in the bedroom, and
being introduced there, how would the
Indian know that it would be attracted
to the intended victim?
The certainty Of the attraction of the
cobra to the man appears TO be made out
by the statement of a waiter, who,
walking the previous afternoon in the
public gardens, saw the Indian squirt
something from what appeared TO be a
Hover on to the short hair at the nape of
the Parsee's neck
The waiter saw the Parsee turn. and
heard the Indian utter some words of
apology.
The inference is that this liquid was
the strange perfume which serpent
charmers use for overpowering serpents.
But there rests the question Of the
mode of introducing the serpents.
The only explanation, if it is one, TO
this inquiry, is to be sought in the
strange words uttered by the Indians
during the fever from which he suffered
Immediately after the Parsee had become
mad.
If he had died asleep, his soul would
have been lost; now the prophet has
taken his soul, and he is safe-safe."
These words, however, are 10 be
doubted, for the Indian could speak no
French, and depended in the hotel upon
an Irish waiter who had served in India.
and who translated the mutterings of
the Indian whom he nursed, into very
bad French, for the benefit of his
fellow-seryants
All put together, the inference may
be that fanatic Indian Mussulman
endeavored TO de-troy an Indian Parsee.
who was opposed to Moslemism i'm
India; that this attempt at murder was
made in the hope Of Killing the Parsee
In his sleep, when death arriving without
a moment in which TO appeal for mercy,
his soul would be lost; and finally
according to Eastern belief, the intended
victims life being saved, and his mind
lost, he was under the protection of
Heaven.
The Indian would therefore look upon
his attempt at assassination as resulting
IN immortal benefit to the man whose
soul he had desired 10 send 10 perdition.
There has been no chance Of a judicial
inquiry, for the Parsee has never re-
covered his senses, and the Indian died
after enduring three weeks agony Of
exhausting fever.