Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-10-02
KILLED BY THE BOA.

An Anaconda Squeezed to Death in a AIu-
scum.
In a glass case in the Standard muse
UNI in Fulton street, Brooklyn. there
have resided together in brOtherly love
for the last six months q huge black ana
cOnda and a big yellOw-striped boa con-
striCtOr. The anaconda was a thoroughly
civilized and gentle reptile, having been
brought up IN the way he should 90 by
the late Snowman Reilly, who died from
the effects of a rattlesnake's bite in the
New York hospital a few weeks ago. The
anaCOnda'S name was Observation-Disclosures
and he was Of so benevolent a DISPOSE
ton that K eilly often took him in bath
ing with him, and NebuchadneZZar was
never so happy as when he was allowed
to follow Reilly about his museum. He
had been in captivity for four years. The
boa constructor is a young snake. His
name is Satan, and it is scarcely a year
and half since he was torn from his
native thickets and forced at last to point
a moral and adOrn another tale than his
own.
The reason that Nebuchadnezzar is
spoken Of in the past tense and Satan
in the present is because of a tragical
occurrence early last Saturday morning.
The two serpents had dWelt together in
unity, as has been stated, for six months,
the fact that Satan has been torpid dur
ing this period. Satan is the doctor Tan
ner of reptiles. He departs so far from
the gastric cOnventiOnaIities OfsOciety as
to take meals only about once a year, at
which time he eVlnCes a partiality for
"a bbits. Preceding these periOdsOf hun
ger he sheds his skin and grows a new
one, a process which is doubtless I'M
pleasant for he is IN very bad humor
during the operation Last Wednesday
he was fed two rabbits, which he bolted
whole and then proceeded to digest
them. On Thursday he was fed two
more, and he went to sleep for their di-
gestiOn. Friday afternoon he seemed
ready for more refreshments, but Mr.
Holmes, his owner, decided to defer the
meal until Saturday
This prOcTastinatiOn was fatal to Nebu-
chadnezzar. Early Saturday morning
that unfortunate reptile was WTapt in
slumber when Satan woke up and per
ceived him, for perhaps, the first time
Satan's evil nature got the best Of him.
and he seized the sleeping beauty by the
neck-if so the section of NebuChadnez-
zar's body Immediately south of his head
may be called, since he Is all neck but
his head-and wrapped his own tail
about a stout tree, which is fastened In
the glass case. Then he wound himself
about poor Nebuchadnezzar' body and
proceeded to squeeze him to death
Nebuchadnezzar was dreaming that he
was about to eat q pug dog with a silver
collar on, when he was awakened by the
terrible pressure of Satan's coils. That
bright dream was his last. He made a
tremendous effort to free himself from
the grip Of the South American, and the
noise that the two made thrashing
against the wall aroused the Waterman,
who perceived the state of affairs at a
glance and -ushed OF to find Mr.. Holmes.
Mr.. Holmes, regardless of personal dan
ger, sprang into the cage and endeaVOred
to save his pet serpent. He seized Sa-
tan's tail and attempted to unwind it
from the tree, but he might as well have
tried to unwind a wagon tire. The rep
tiles tail was lmmOVeable, and Mr..
Holmes seited it back Of the head and
attempted to shake loose the grip 1t had
upon NebuchaduezZar. Whether it was
Mr.. Holmes diamond flashing In its eyes
or sheer exhaustion cannot be ascer-
tanned, but he managed to drag it away
from its victim.
But poor NebucbadneZZar was done for.
Every bone In his body was broken, and
after lingering until late Saturday night
his gentle life went out. Mr.. Holmes
was almost incOnsOlable, but he sent the
body to a taxadermist to be stuffed, when
it viii be placed in q case in the muse
un, where It viii be a lasting reprOach
to its murderer. Satan observed the
most unconcerned demeanOr last night
until Mr.. Holmes punched him up with
q cane, when he Missed like e broken
Steam exhaust. Mr.. Holmes nov has
two reptile cases in his establishment,
since he has on exhibition the rattle
snake which killed Reilly.
FL DoEade Is % have q drum CORPS.