The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-21
A MONS TER TOAD.
Lieutenant in the swiss Army Put
to Flight by the Feature.
Etnnl The 81 La,Lla Eo,,a.LL:..

to Flight by the Creature.
From the ST. louis Republic.
M. Charles Ofredus, lieutenant in the
Swiss army, gives the following account of
gigantic toad he saw on the coast of Italy
AFTER having seen Rome, Naples and other
principal cities of Italy, returned through
Venice. | had just left Aquapeadente. a
town situated upon an eninence. and passed
down the mountain afoot to 20 to an inn
that lies out of the town. NJ Buschins. the
companion of my journey, was a good
ways before me, having loitered by the
way to examine some peculiar plants indigo
nous to those parts. had not penetrated far
when heard rustling in the thicket upon
which had my eyes fixed looked down
and saw at my feet an enormous toad. SO
prodigous, that, without exaggeration. it
seemed to be more than foot and a half
across the back. The ugly monster was 30
near me that it touched my left foot,
Seized with horror, l quickly drew back
my foot, having only strength enough left
to run away as fast as | could Recovering
my wits when had reached a safe distance
from the horrid creature, stopped a while.
and at last made up my mind TO return TO
the spot where had seen the horrible beast.
Seeing It in the same spot came TO the
conclusion that could easily dispatch it
with my sword. Uncertain, however,
what weapon / should use in making the
attack, and judging that distance would be
more prudent than close engagement, l
laid hold of large stone, which l could
scarcely lift with both hands, and, with nv
naked sword under my arm, | presented
myself before the animal. His mouth was
wide open, and his, lutte, black, wicked
looking eyes were sparkling, his
whole aspect betraying not the least sign
of fear at sight OF danger. On the
contrary, he appeared anxious for
the fray. Having raised the stone as high
as my strength would permit, l measured
well It's fall. covering the toad entirely,
mass. Horrible beast / said to myself,
that is the last time ever you will brighten
a tired soldier out of his wits; and, here
shall be your grave | again said, as /
piled a number of smaller stones upon the
large one that had first crushed the mon
ster. l had great desire to examine the
thing more closely, and If possible, to dissect
it, but had not the courage to touch even
the stones under which it lay buried.
STANDING. gazing intently at the little
rock mound, which | had intended as a
tomb for the unsightly creature, / noticed
that the smaller of the stones had COM
menced to move. Soon the whole mound
toppled over, and the beast walked out
alive, seeming none the worse of from his
late experience. Seeing that the creature
had neither wound on his ugly skin nor
broken bone in his body. / snatched my
cloak and sword, and passed out of the
thicket, declaring that l would no longer
make war against such monster. Arriv-
ing at the inn I called for glass Of wine,
but no sooner had l drank it than | felt
feverish symptoms, which turned into
chill, lasting nearly two weeks"
During the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries some of the Italian and East Ger
man prisons were provided with the
monstrous poison toads of the Mediter-
ranean coast. In a very short time the air
became contaminated by the exhalations of
the venomous creatures to such an extent as
to cause the death Of many prisoners kept
within the buildings.