Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-19
THE SNAKES AVENGED HER
A Spanish Maiden's False Lover
Lured to an Awful Doom.
REPTILES ON EVERY HAND
"They Heard Your Protestations of
Love-" Cried the Girl, "and They
viii Hear Your Dying
Breath"
Poison for Poison.

Poison for Poison.
Blocker street was, nearly n cen tury
ago, says writer in the Cincinnati
Enquirer, one OF the aristocratic thor
oughfares of New York city, aud many
of the best families Gotham had at the
time were residents of it. AS recent as
1913 the street was occupied by class
OF people who would dislike to be seen
there today. There is now large
business house on block where there
formerly stood an inn kept by Span
lard known as Canovas De Rosa. 1t
was here that q tragedy was committed
one night that is probably unparalleled
in the criminal annals of this country,
the details OF which never reached the
general public.
Canovas was man who had accumu-
lated considerable money by catering to
the wants Of the weary traveller that
had made the then lengthy trip from
Philadelphia. In the rear of his inn
was barn like apartment in which he
kept wolf, bear and few reptiles.
He added to the collection whenever an
opportunity presented iteslf, and as u
consequence he had in time quite
menagerie, which was the means of at
tracing to his place people who, while
looking at his collection of beasts, spent
consid cradle money. The man was
widower and had no family. He had
come to this country early in the
thirties, and brought with him the only
child Of his brother, who had developed
into beautiful girl.
Rose De Rosa had all the attributes
of the Spanish maiden. She had picked
up English when a mere child soon
after she arrived, and was probably
more of an attraction to the Inn than
the menagerie. Rose, as she was famil-
iarly called by the habitues of the
place, had instilled into her mind that
the companionship of the average
young man of the day meant ruin and
destruction. Canovas was not slow to
realize that
THE GIRLS BEAUTY
would some day bring to him fortune.
The hopes he INDUCED in were selfish
from their origin. He frequently in
formed her that she was safer when at
the mercy of the beasts in the barn
than in the company of the young gen
try of that day.
1t was not an unusual sight to see the
girl, when just entering her teens, ac-
company her uncle to the barn to fur
nish food for the ferocious beasts con-
fined there. The latter had become
accustomed to the young girls pres
ence and would perform antics at her
command that both pleased and aston
ished the customers. Canovas saw she
possessed some influence over the
beasts, and rendered all the assistance
in his power for the development of the
talent. He increased his collection
and added a few native snakes. The
latter acted like kittens in the girls
hands, and her fame as charmer of
venomous reptiles spread to such an ex-
tent that crowds would assemble in the
barn to observe her take the Shiny
creatures from their glass case and
coil them about her person.
1t was at this period that young
Russian Chafe Jurge was introduced to
Canovas. The young mans mother had
been Spanish girl who had made
runaway match with Russian, the
fruits of which were child and life
of misery. The young man was edu-
Gated abroad and sent to this country
by his fathers relatives to negotiate
with American capitalists regarding an
enterprise that promised great results.
1t was generally known that Chafe
would eventually be the possesser of an
immense fortune, and, being young and
hendsome, was naturally much sought
after. He had neard of Rose, and ex-
pressed a desire to see the girl. Cano-
vas knew the young man by reputation,
and visions of match between him
and his ward came to his mind.
Chafe drove to the Blocker street inn
one day and was served with wine.
Rose was present and saw that his
wants were properly attended to. His
manner was different from those of young
men visiting her uncle's house, conse-
quently it was not surprising that
mutual attraction sprung up between
the young people. 1t was almost imme-
diately ripened into love. Chafe took
up his abode at the place, and it was in
time looked upon by Canovas as the
FUTURE HUSBAND OF THE GIRL.
He had encouraged the suit by every
means in his power. Chafe would pass
hours in the barn watching the girl
feeding her vicious pets. During one
of these performances he remembered
that his presence was required at
hotel kept by fellow-cOuntryman,
where an invalid friend was stopping.
"Come with me, Rose, " he whispered,
leaning over the girl affectionately. II
wish to introduce to him my future
wife,"
An hour later she was on her way to
visit the sick friend OF the man she
loved. Darkness was just falling as they
entered the gate ST a place standing on
what is now known as Bowling Green.
Chafe took the girls arm and led her
upstairs. They entered chamber
handsomely furnished, but unoccupied.
A table standing in the center of the
room bore fruits and wines. There were
chairs placed for two. Rose started
back at not seeing the friend whom
they had come to visit, but Chafe ex-
planned that the gentleman had proba-