The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-09-28
STORIES ABOUT TARANTULAS.
The 0uestisu Whether their Btsa 10 Fatal
Diseased In - ToinbsteAs Hotel.

TOMBSTONE, Aiiz., Sept. ga boy FROM
the up country brought In tarantula M big az
mans hand yesterday. and exhibited IL for
nickel. At the hotel In the evening somo Of tho
oldest Inhabitants got to talking about spiders
and such things. One man said 1t was WE'LL
established fact that nobody had ever boon
killed by the bite OF u tarantuln or u centipede.
This brought out n chorus Of voices in dissent.
Nenriy everybody else had known Of cases
where men had died in more or loss torment as
result Of beinS stunc BY those insects: .,,;.
in travelling through these parts az thore 10
now. ! camped out one night Just across the
% line wsa party o.
know anything about tarantulas. When We
sslecled our camping place we noticed three
boxes with covers lying on the ground. but we
rnid no attention u them. It was chilly. aud
Gus Peterson startled va with I'M unoarthly
yell and running to him. We found that he WAS
.So sss S n sSS an 'Hs ss
OF what killed him Ii. doubled up like lack.
ne would straiglitsn out stifr for minute. and
we'd think he wRs dead. but pretty soon he
snyhn S:x w. h IL a in ABOUT hoa
IN awful torment. The next day we examined
and t So. KIND and on 1s s
some one said it must have been . snake or .
tarantula.
One man said he had seen one dead on
y Goakey e OF The pa ps
Win The remark: What shs deSii srs these
leg legs A Two '% inches long Ro gave YELL and We
49,. That .s..ntn" syrS sal. .k!,t the he, man
hs Sn3 found fheS Ind hsse
precision. The cover to the box is nicely hung
is exit il falls back into place ittlng, 20 snug
to 81 IN rasss { Wiz OF lbs
srs. and then lots 1t down after he has entered.
ra'y ia. STING ssa sA scs
4 Mexican then said no once saw man who
BY aosna him With II whiskey "
to have q Jug" he said. spologetiesIIy and
was we poured the whiskey down him. He
was Mexican and II did him good. At frat he
ssT h sd the he ssss
and whom he came TO himself again he was, out
Of pain. He never wns any good after that,
his mind was o little unbHancad. Sometime
after that he killed man, but they let him go
responsible. That's the only time that ever
knew anything to save man who. had been
bitten. knew ono man who died Instantly
and three or four others suffered in various
ways until death relieved them. We tried to
make one OF them beiisve that he WAS soaring
himself to death. That's what some fellows try
To say about these things. but it's oil bosh. 4
tarantula bite in Mexico means all the whiskey
the victim can hold. and no Mexican will die
under such circumstances II he Gun help It,.
I'll tell you what makes some people. be-
leve that tarAn tulas and csntipedea can't hurt
anybody. Every little while in Mexico some fel-
low who Is mighty dry makes tremendous fuss
about being bitten. and after he has been dosed
with free whiskey for . few days be recoyers.
not bitten at al!. Nothing moves tho sympathy
OF Mexican like tnrantu!a bite. and ! am
sorry to say that frauds take advantage OF this
very frequently"
The last man who spoke said no knew OF =
case In Grass Valley. Cal, where man was
bitten on the arm by u centipsde. and took TO
his bad never to rise again. When 1t became
Obvious that something must done to sayo his
seemed to DO suffering only from the amputA-
tion. but tho poison AT length appeared in the
other arm. and that also WAS nmputated. He
fingered for = long time In pain, and finally
died very suddenly ons day. the poisson having
reached his heart