St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-16


give the plant unnatural nOurishment,
under which it grew with greater rapidity
than ever. One day he made an expert
ment with some fresh, bloody meat, which
he minced up into very small PARTICLES
To his delight the plant accepted and de-
vOured them, and from that day on the
particles were increased in size until fully
three ounces of meat would be absorbed
by one single leaf. and nearly One-half
pound OF cartilage or other mucous animal
matter. My father had long since ceased
To water the earth around the plant, or
pay any attention To it, and L noticed that
its surface, which had become hard and
I dry. was cracking open as II there was a
pressure underneath disturbing it.
THIS REMARKABLE GROWTH
and development began to fascinaIe. and
1 yet alarm me. while nay father was nearly
craZed with delight
lone day, while busying myself about
the house. / released my pet canary from
the cage and allowed it to hutter about the
rooms. Suddenly | heard strange noise
in the room where the plant was standing.
resembling the rustling of leaves in a
breeze. Knowing there was scarcely a
breath of air stirring, L stepped III To dis
cover the cause of the sounds.
=" God in Heavenl what a sight met my
gaze.
Poised directly over the monstrous
vegetable was my beautiful bird. while be-
low it was turbulence and confusion. The
thick foliage seemed excited 10 destruction
and the sound Of the leaves as they swayed
To and fro in their mad Impotence re-
Sembled the Kissing OF a thousand snakes.
Now and then a leaf would wrap itself
around another and then slowly relax, while
the ugly veins in its palm were swollen
near 10 bursting with passion. Every
lear and stalk was stretched upward,
yawning for its prey. Terrified, l sprang
forward with uplifted arms. The bird. to
avoid my grasp. SwOOped downward. and
in an instant a monster leaf had wrapped
Itself around it. There was a smOthered,
ShTill cry from the little throat, while the
leaf slowly crushed it, AS serpent brushes
forest fowl.
- Terrified 10 madness, / ran screaming
from tine house, and meeting a fisherman 1
tearfully told him that my fathers plant
had murdered my bird He did not under
stand me and looked amused as 1 ran past
him to meet my father coming from the
quay. When l told him what had hap
pened his face lit up with keenest pleasure
and lac FASTENED with me to the house.
1T ATE BIRDS.
"'For long time he stood inspecting
the plant and then. with a strange look in
mis- eyes, he started for the rear OF the house
where an old hen was scratching with
broop of chickens. In an instant L OWNED
his purpose and a new terror seized me.
Quickly STOPPING over the unsuSpect-
/ ing brood he grabbed up two of tine beauti-
full downy things and hurried with them
/ into the house.
- -Nnm ara croinCr IN pnrDmit EanIigl,
/ act said /, and L will not witness it
"'YOu will stay where you are said he.
/ and let me warn you that il you ever dare
/ to interfere with me, or harm this plant.
/ you shall be its next victim
"'ParlyZed with fear, l sat motionleSs
while he tossed first one and then the other
of the helpless fowls into the foliage. The
next morning the leaves slowly opened and
+ there fell an the floor the three victims of
/ the voraciouS plant. l picked them up.
/ They were as blOodleSS Is the remnants of
I a weaSel's victim.
Upon learning of the remark l made
I 10 the fisherman, my father became
I alarmed lest his secret had been discov-
I cred and Immediately decided to leave the
community. We came to Chicago and il
was here that became convinced that my
fathers mind was impaired and that he
was AAENNAN ~ hNNSAAAN AtlN-N>SA. ONN4
the plant. He often told me that he
: believed the thing would one day
BECOME A LIVING BEING,
and that it would tell him of his wife who
had nourished it while young. He was
continually muttering 10 it as though
I il could hear and understand
I him. and since the time of my canary'S
death he had continued TO feed il upon live
meat. Within a year after our arrival i'm
Chicago il grew TO fill nearly one-half of
I the room i'm which it was kept, and the
Z roots had broken from the earth i'm the
/ large tub and were rapidly growing over
I the floor. Their color turned quickly after
/ exposure 10 a purple, and became soft and
I pulpy, like the trunk or body of the plant
When doves and pigeons were tossed into
the foliage these roots. which were much
like the tentacleS of the devil-fiSh. would
creep up to the foliage, as if to assist it in
4 securing its prey.
- One day, as my father and l were
watching it. the house cat. a great pet of
my fathers. came puITing through the
room and rubbed its soft fur against the tub
as if inviting a caTeSS. Have YOU ever seen
4 snake allow an innocent dove. thrown in
its cage by the keeper. TO trip msuSpect-
ingly over its coils while il Law biding its
/ time 10 grasp and crush the poor thing? In
T just such a manner did poor tabby rub and
purr among the deadly tentacleS of the
/ plant, until suddenly one OF them fastened
itself around her body, and, in spite OF
I her desperate struggles, would soon
have given her over 10 the foliage, which
/ was now in a terrible connection, the
/ leaves bending downward until il seemed
as if the stalks must snap in the frantic
effort TO reach the victim. But NV father
j lfhf4nI F.r fri -
/ sense of pity. for, grasping a large knife
from the table he severed the tentacle
/ The cat. freed from the deadly embrace.
ran madly by with the coil of the root still
clinging 10 il. while the injured stub Law
quivering over the edge of the tub, and
! from its end OOzed not blood. but a thick
/ blush substance in considerable quantity
THE HORROR OF THIS EXPERIENCE
brought me resolution. and / tremblingly
told my father that he must destroy the
entire plant, as he had just destroyed one
I of its members. or if he refused would
/ appeal to the authorities.
I'm an instant he became 4 maniac.
and, springing upon me with all his force, he
/ quickly Overpowered me, and bound me
hand and foot. / screamed. implored
( but all in vain. Raising me in his power
/ full hands high above his head he carried
me into the presence of the lOathsOme
/ plant. His demOniacal laugh was loud
and long. but above it could
/ hear a sound which struck greater terror 10
my heart. 1t frOze my blood and took from
me the power TO plead for my life. 1t was
the sound of thousand serpents struggling
Kissing. gasping for their prey. 1t was but
an instant that was suspended in the air,
and yet it seemed an hour when my father
released me. l was numb; great. cold