The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-05-02

'''uh 81 the animals spittlc. Aft.r
paying the mon. ! sent for somcth,n,
rom Tho suticr 70 compose their nerve,
IN order TO ascertain from thor, ~
causc 81 their abjcct fear. Their stories
mainly conceded with those OF tho
o'her Moxicans and Indians whom /
nave interrogatcd upon the subject
Since and though but hoarsay evidence
= would state that these reports NAV 4.
accepted as facts, tho narrators being
mon Of nnquestionablc vcracitv. ana No
later experiments bearing thom out Il
their assertions.
a woodcuttcr who had laid down 4,
complete health TO slccp. wrann.d ~ 4,
nis blanket, failed to arise ia the morn
ins when his ~co-laborcrs called him.
'pon uncoycring him they found hin
stone dead, and near his body a ella
Monster, which. In tho hustle ana can
fusion Ok the moment. madc rood his
escape. Tho body 81 tho man borc no
mark 81 q bite or other wound.
year Magd alcna. Sonora. a man was
hunting rabbits with d dog. Tho latter
inserted his snout into d rabbit hole h,,t
Immediately rctrcatcd, uttering fearful
howls while he was trying To shake or
ella Monster which had fastened its
teeth into tho dogs nose. and although
snarling and splitting without intorrun-
ton could not be made 10 let 90 IL
bold till II was killed, and oven then
its Jaws had 20 be forced apart with an
iron rod. The dog. upon being released.
began 70 act very strangely. and showed
something like the same symptoms as "A
horse does when suffering from the
blind staggers;' but soon began turning
around itself IN a circle with tho head
Tor ITS center. and in about twenty min
utcs fell down dead. Tho same actions
before death We're observed in a mule,
only this animal was bitten in q hind
log and lived for scvcraldays.
A young miner while prospecting was
bitten Just above tho shoe. Although
previously In the best health, no At
once began 70 lose flesh. became faclan-
choly. and died after a few months in
the manner OF those who succumb 10
what in Germany Is called the g~alloping
consumption.
II space allowed. / could cnumeratc
many similar cases. moro or less au-
thcnticated; but su flee 1t to say. that
among tho natives the universal belief
Is that tho spittlc or saliva. and even
tho mere breath and cxhalation. OF the
animal in an excited state Is deadly
poison. l have been told by many
Mcxicans that tho Yaqui Indians hunt
the ella Monster for tho sake OF its
flesh. which is indeed appctising enough
70 look at; but several Yaq uis TO whom
] spoke about the matter have denied
the assertion.
After this depression, let us return to
my prisoner in the grain-room. Tho
reader may imagine that, after the re-
pcatcd cautions had received from its
captors. l personally gave tho animal q
wide berth. although I tried to induce
a pointer. which we kept for hunting
| quail, to investigate tho nature OF the
newcomers temper. When tho dog
perceived tho big lizard he stood per
fectly still and trcmblcd with fear, then
turned about and fed. Ono OF the mon
now brought . very brave and wen
vicious rat-tsrrior, who entered boldly
enough and walked, shining cautiously.
towards tho ella Monster. which. n IL
turn, came forward 70 tho length o. the
| rope The two animals wcro now only
. few foot apart; the dog began 20 whinc
and bark alternately. advancing q few
inches and rctroa.ing again, showing
! plainly that he would like 70 60 in Ind
shake his adversary. who by this timo
had Strengthened his legs and was spit
ting furiously, shooting ont his forkcd
| black tongue. while his little black eyes
| exhibited tho ~''uncanny'' fire OF an
angry snake. Tho dog could not be
| induced to 60 any nearer, and the fight
waa abandoned. Tho lizard was then
| given the corner Of a wooden blanket;
into this It bit furiously, holding on
with such tenacity that wo had TO pro-
cure q crowbar to pry its jaws open
Cats placed in he same room-which
had no door-with the suarian would.
upon pcrceivi NC the animal, bristlc up
like the fret full porcupinc" and make
a very speedy exit. ! placed ome
| chopped meat and q bowl OF water with
in the reach OF my captive and left him
TO himself. On the following morning
! no was gone. having dc~xterously slipped
| tho moose over his hcad-at least there
was no visible sign Of gnawing on any
part Of the rope.
Since then ! have experimental with
| many specimens; in fact, ! buy . 70 W
| every summer, either for that purpose
or for stufing. One l kept for over
! three months. 1t appeared 70 be quito
| old, and | used to place in its prison-a
| large dry.goods box-rats. mice lizards
and birds with clipped wings II re-
! NAMED entirely ~inoffcnsive, but the an
| imals thus introduced into the box
| would at onco rctirc into the farthcst
| corner and remain thcro with evident
| signs Of abject fear.
Finally ! resolved to stun II. and now
| became acquainted with q new feature
OF this animals nature, o feature 80 cx-
traordinary. 80 altogether incredible
| that / almost hesitate to relate II, al
| though ! can produce several cye-wit-
nesses TO tho performance In order 70
preserve the skin without tho least
mutilation, / thought that the best way
70 kill tho animal with tho least posi-
bic suffering would DO to drown IT.
| therefore attached q heavy stone to Inc
| wire which held tho animal fast around