The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-09-22
KILLED ny A SERPENT.
Terrible Encounter with a Deadly Bl0w~
fng viper I'm Dark Room.

From the Altoona pa Tribune. Sept. 12l
A terrible calamity befel DR.. Paulhamus
and his lovely and accomplished daughter
Eleanor, Tuesday evening, In williamsburg
Pa It seems that couple of weeks ago two
tramps captured pair OF enormous reptiles,
which the doctor pronounced to be OF that
deadly, species known as blowing viper
The doctor, having q desire to con-
mend itself fro@s ths s' d Efda G pur
chased the reptiles, intending to forward
them to the Geological Gardens in PhiIadel-
phia. Biding their transportation the snakes
were placed in large glass jar, the top being
carefully secured by Q covering Of wire, gauze:
The jar was then placed on an elevated
bracket in a remote corner Of the doctors
office. Last evening. the doctor and his
daughter were returning from a visit to the
country, and the Doctor having occasion to
office, the doctor lighting lamp. And now
large owl swept es in O't through the
transom above the door, and flew with
knocking it over and scattering the oil and
broken glass in every direction. The bird
seemed frantic, flying and dashing in every
direction, while a general crash of bottles and
glasses was heard on every side Meantime
the Doctor had lit another match, but just In
time to receive his daughter, who sprang with
q wild cry to his arms; in the darkness he
gathered his darling In his arms, and In a
moment realized the situation. The owl
had dislodged the jar from the bracket,
and the vipers were at large. Speedily
he CROPPED his way, calling loudly for help,
which, the hour being late, was slow to put
in an appearance They seemed slow, but
scarcely five minutes had elapsed until full
q dozen ladies and brave men were on the
spot No living hand can indite the horrors
of the next few minutes. Miss Eleanor, who
had been insensible since she sprang to her
fathers arms, was now being cared for by
the ladies, when one simultaneous shrek al
most froze the blood and paralyzed each
nerve-yet not all It was Thomas LUZ
hand that seized the glittering reptile by the
bitten the lady midway between the ankle and
to her home where every known antidote for
poison was administered by her frantic father,
but all to no avail. She died at 80 this morn
ing. After taking the poor unfortunate young
Lady home one OF the men, knowing there had
been two snakes, returned to the office and
soon dispatched the other. An examination
showed it's two large fangs missing. This led
TO the conjecture that possibly the Doctor had
been bitten. hasty return and close exami-
nation resulted in finding the fangs in the thick
feathers OF the Doctors boots, who, being so
alarmed for his daughter, had not the slight
est knowledge Of being struck. The corpse
Of the young lady has swollen to enormous
dimensions, while her complexion is in har-
mony with the spots and general coloring of
the snake. The larger of the snakes meas
ured four and a hall feet, the smaller four
feet. They are pronounced by our old people
the largest Of the species. It was the shorter
one OF the two that bit the young lady.