The Newtown bee., 1880-07-07
A CHILD,s TERRIBLE FATE.
Her Skeleton Fouftd fn the Den Of aI
 Enormous Blacksnake.

Enormous Blacksnake.
 A recent letter. dated West Union. Ohio, says, Ginger Ridge, a rugged, sterile upland, aoout six miles north west of here, is mucG excited over the killing of an enormous blacksnake which for several years has played havoc with the farmers fiocks. Hogs, poultry, calves, sheep, etc., have myf teriously disappeared, always at night. Two years ago band of gypsies were camped in the neighborhood, and they were accused of stealing the missing property. Jchn Rainfoi tn, farmer, who greatly suffered from these depre- datiops. swore out warrant before Squire Peter Anns and had several of them arrested. They had a prelimin- ary examination, but nothing was proved against them. and they were dis charged. They went away muttering threats of vengeance.
 Mir. Rainforth had a golden-haired little daughter, four years old, whose beauty and sunny temper were the pride of her parents. On the day after the arrest of the gypsies little Nellie Rainforth was missed. She was last seen playing with pet lamb on the edge of a rocky ridge, short distance from the house. Search was made tor her, but neither she nor the lamb was found. The whole neighborhood was aroused and men secured the fields and woods for miles around. Mir. Rainforth suspected the gypsies of abducting her, out of revenge for their arrest, and fol- lowed the party across the Ohio river into Lewis county, Ky. When he came up with them they indignantly denied all knowledge of the child's where abouts, and search of their camp failed to discover his little daughter. He returned to his home broken hearted.
 One day last week Mr. Raiuforth was planting field of about twenty-five acres, situated near his house. He had not been at work long when he dis covered what at first seemed to be a fresh furrow across the middle of the field. He stopped work and followed the track to fence which separated the field from the dense thicket of under brush. On the fence he found blood and some sheep's wool, which at once convinced him that the body of a sheep had been dragged across the fence. He went to his pasture and found that large CotswGld ram was missing. Ac- companied by four or five neighbors, MT. Rainforth made search for the miss ing sheep. The track through the brush was marked by drops of blood and tufts of wool. About sixty rods from the fence they came to a ledge of rocks, forming one side ot steep hill. The track led directly to this ledge, in which was found an opening of sufficient size to admit the body of n large man. A large charge Of giant powder was ex- ploded in the opening, and the rocks were thrown asunder by the blast. When the smoke cleared away the farmers drew near and peered down the opening, and there, among at least q wagon load of bones, lay huge black snake, quivering fro1i hts hurt. The farmers waited until the snake was dead, and then attached chain to his body and dragged the monster out of the hole. He measured fifteen feet seven inches in length, and the biggest part of his body was over two feet in circumference. He had an ugly-look- ing head and enormous fangs, sharp as needles. The missing ram lay beside him, crushed out of shape. and covered with sticky, glutinous substance.
 1 visited the spot and saw the monster snake. While was there, men were at work clearing the den of the bones. In acorner one of them picked up a human skull. It was small, like a child's, and he brought it forward to the light. Mir. Rainforth was standing by my side when the man came toward us with the skull in his hand. He glanced at it, and, staggering against tree, buri ed his face in his hands and burst into tears. E
 "Poor little Nellie," he cried, through his sobs. My God, it is horrible!"
 After time he controlled his feelings and told me the story of his little daughters mysterious disappearance two years ago. The bones of the little one were gathered together and buried in the family plot in tiie cemetery at West Union. The discovery was kept from Mrs. Rainforth, for the poor woman has never ceased to mourn for her lost child, and her husband feared that this intelligence would seriously affect her, she being in delicate health. There can be no doubt as to the identity of tie skeleton, for a gold chain which she wore around her neck was found among the bleaching bones.