Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-26

a Gesd Censrsbusaeu 70 shs 0pnidfss
lnterassrs II shs Nay from
NORTH Carolina.
A Raleigh correspondent OF the
New York Times writes: DR.. Ellis
Malone, Of Louisburg, Is . gentleman
with no fiction in bis composition: de
is also devoid Of imagination. While
on his return home from . visit TO
patient on Tuesday morning no was
startled by peculiar rustling noise IN
the leaves behind him. He investigated
the noise and found 1t TO come from
couple Of snakes who had got themselves
tangled up together until they looked
like q ball Of earth worms. He scoopod
the snakes up In pan and took them
home. Then he put them in box on
the floor to see what would result.
There were colors to indicate the pre-
sence Of two snakes, but be couldn't
find but one snakes head. The second
head doomed up later, but it was dead
head. The other snake, which was
king-snake, had crushed the life out OF
bis antagonist, q highland moccssin.
When the king. snake was convinced
that the moccasin was dead he prepared
to feast on it. So that this story may
not be doubted, the king-snake first bit
of a portion Of the moccasiu's tai.
Then he swallowed the rest. DIR. Ma
lone then dumped the pair out of doors.
| The king-snake undertook to crawl un-
der the house with bis meal, but DR..
Malone's dog wouldn't have it, and
made the king-snake vomit up the dead
moccasin. Then the king-snske moved
away. Later he returned and swallowed
| the moccasin again, this time for good.
DIR. Malone ssys both snakes were four
| feet long and as big around as his wrist.
He thinks tho king-snake bit off bit
| of the moccasin's tail, after taking its
measure, so that it would just fit the
cavity he had for digestive purposes.
When Cornelius Cripp went to Ls-
noir, in Caldwell sounty, on Wednes.
day, he startled every one who saw
him by shaking up near them collec-
ton Of the rattles of fifty-seven rattle
snakes that he happened to have With
him. Cripp went last Monday with
Albert F. Estes over to Headquarters
mountain, whice is near the Burks aud
Mitchell county lines, about twenty-five
miles from Lenon. On good sunshiny
| days this is rare spot for rattlers to
SUI themselves, and a family gathering
| Of anywhere from fifty to two hundred
snakes there on pleasant afternoon is
common sight. Near there is snake
den or cave that is used as o trusting
place when the sun doesn't shine,
and in the evening. Cripp and Estes
made trip TO this cave on Tuesday, in
company with Harvey Clarke and Junius
| Austin. All carried guns and wore
long rubber boots. Cripp aud Clarke
were the only two who had nerve enough
to climb over the boulders to the spot
here the rattlers were the thickest.
| They got bit frightened when they
saw that the rank growth OF weeds had
been crushed down by the frequent trips
| of the snakes over it. They were not
much cheered when they saw five big
snakes guarding the entrance to the
den. One of the sentinels was q hoary.
beaded old fellow, five and a-half feet
long and four inches through the thick
part of his body. Cripp jumped from
boulder to boulder until he got
chance, and then shot the king
of the rattlers through the head
The tune be played with hi:
thirty rsttles just before he died
called from the cavern host OF his fell
lows, and they ell Joined in the rafting
chorus, which woke all the echoes that
Headquarters mountain possessed. II
also made things lively for the hunters,
who had no trouble in killing the snake;
as fast as they could load and fire their
guns, Clarke succeeded in killing one
which was sort of golden-husd and
lively customer, with particularly
musical tail. When they had killed
all they could see the hunters took
couple OF poles, anu, fuunIns aoous a.
the weeds, found plenty OF game there
and good game it was, too. Estes snd
Austin heard the fusilads Of the guns
the rafting chorus. and the shouts
Of the hunters, and went up and took
hand in the game. Austin succeeded
in killing a big black fellow, which
when coiled up, looked as big as half
bushel basket. He was six feet and ont
inch long, and as thick through as thu
calf Of Austin's leg. he had twenty
FIVE rattles and & button. When tn
sun went down the hunt ceased, AM
the four hunters gathered up the spoils
There were fifty-seven dead snakes
whose rattles we're cut off and given t
Cripp. The three biggest snakes wer'
taken to Leneir, skinned, and stuffed
Cripp says there is q least q twO-hOrSe
wagon load left in the den, and tina
next summer he is going up to tn
mountain with a party. to catch cou
pie of hundred or SO.