The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-02
SNAKE CHARMING IN NEW JERSEY.
Mr.. Purdy Pays Eight Dollars and a
Half to See Trick from India.

Half to See Trick from india.
From the Ne,O York Sun.
Samuel Purdy owns a house, with large
lot around it. on rather desolate looking
spot short distance from South Orange
avenue, about four miles from Newark.
He has never had any reason to suppose
that there were any snakes on his premises,
so that yesterday when short man, who
had the appearance of a gypsy, and carried
a forbidding face, with heavy. beetling
brows, under shock of raven-black hair,
approached him as he sat with his friend,
James Rennie, on his veranda and said:
"Shall | charm few snakes for you, gen
tlemen, all the same as they do it in India,
where l learned my trades" Mr.. Purdy was
a little surprised.
"I'll do it cheap" continued the man
Fifty cents for black snake, rs cents for
copperhead and 81 for "a RATHER It's
beautiful weather for charming snakes.n
where are you going to find them"
asked Mr. Purdy. "You are not cfrrying
them about under your clothes, hope!'
No" said the man, contemptuously, 81
am not | don't risk my life that way.
They are all i'll your garden, and some of
them quite close to you. All, you don't be-
lieve that, because you never saw one of
them; but snakes is sly. They don't want
to get their heads bruised, and SO they only
come out at night | know the trail of the
serpent when l see it, though, and | would
be willing to lay my life that there is as
big rattlesnake as you ever saw in that
hole at the foot of the apple tree that your
children have been climbing every day.
Shall charm him out for 81"
"Why, that is a rat hole" said Mr.. Pur-
dy, scornfully. There is no snake there"
"You may think So" answered the
charmer, hut just say the word and Ill
soon show you your mistake. 1t won't
cost YOU much to have your garden cleared.
There can't be a great many of them in it. "
"What do you sayp asked Mr. Purdv,
turning 10 his friend. ''Shall / allow him
to go ahead? He may amuse u.s."
"Mr. Rennie had passed several years of
his life in India, where he saw something of
snake charming" He laughed and acqui-
| esced, and the heavy browed man was told
to charm ali the snakes in the garden at his
own price.
He had repellant rather than charm
ing appearance as he pulled off his coat and
prepared for action. He took from his
| pockets a stout canvas bag to hold the
| snakes a score or SO of pods that looked
| like coffee beans, and a short, rudely made
| wooden flute. He tucked the bag under
| his ARM asked Mr.. Purdy to hold the pods
and squatting in an awkward attitude, as
| though he were sitting upon very low in
visible stool, near the hole. he began to play
slow melody upon his flute. Gradually
| the music grew faster, until it was Wild and
very rapid, and soon some leaves in front
/ of the hole were disturbed
| A serpent was pushing its heda
through them, and before long an immen e
rattlesnake was visible 1t had emerged
I from the hole, and was evidently angry as
well as charmed as it approached the
musician, who moved slowly back. The
snake glided within reach of his hand, and,
| with a quick movement, he seized it by the
neck. The next moment it was a pri.o
! in the bag Its teeth, however, had LAGER
! ated the charmer's forefnger. He stuck
| one of the pods upon it, and said the bean,
which adhered firmly, would absorb all the
poison. Mr.. Purdy advised him to drink
| copiously of whisky. He protected it was
not necessary; but he took drink for all
| that
A copperhead soon Joined the rattlesnake
| in the bag, and the charmer, in the course
| of an hour, had drawn a snake from every
hole in Mr.. Purdy's garden. He went away
with two rattles lakes, four copperheads and
| seven black snakes in his bag, and IS so of
Mr. Purdy's money in his POCKET
| II had no idea there was snake in the
| garden" said Mr.. Purdy to his friend.
"You were probably right" replied Mr.
| Rennis Those serpents have been familiar
with each other for months. They are all
| quite tame, and their venomous fangs are
drawn. The man liberated them in your
garden last night, and called them back
into his bag this morning. 1t is a WORKOUT
| trick in India, but | never saw it played
here before