The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-21
SNAKES IN IRELAND.
The Work of Good ST. Patrick Uudoae
by a Tipsy American Snowman.

The Work of Good st. Patrick Undoae
by Tipsy American Snowman.
From the Chicago Neus
From Ireland comes the news that snakes
have appeared in that country. 1t seems
that about five years ago a Snowman named
Wilson came from America with show of
living wild animals. He landed his show at
Queenstown, and gave exhibitions up
through Ireland with more o less success.
But one night at the little iowa of Am
raugh, in Tipperary. Mr. Wilson got very
drunk, and den of snakes in his exhibition
was set free.
Two years ago the people in the neighbor-
hood Of Amraugh began to miss poultry
I'd pigs. Several vagabonds fell under
suspicion, were apprehended and vera
locked up. But the depredations continued,
ana finally a farmers lad testified thai
upon returning late one night from merry
making he had seen the evil one in the guise
of serpent making away with a pig
across the field. The village priest took
the lad in hand and questioned him closely,
| but nothing could shake the fellows
| testimony. About this time other people
detected similar fiends i'll the act of like
| depredations and at ouce arose hue and
| cry that the spot was damned one and had
been given over to the devil for diabolical
| the devil was publicly denounced, but the
| Gepredations continued, and presently from
| CastelraIne, a town twelve miles distant,
| came word that his Satanic majesty had
| begun operations in that locality, his vic
| tins in this instance and III this place being
| sheep, not poultry and pigs.
| In this dismal emergency the bishop was
| most properly appealed 20, for the parish
| priests were at tLeir wits end and
| their pensioners were well nign
crazed through fear The bishop en-
| listed the services of two shrewd
| detectives from Dublin, who. in the course
| of a fortnight, reported to their sanity en-
| ployer that the depredations at Castelraine
and Amraugh had indeed besn committed
by serpents, the detectives themselves hav-
| ing seen and watched the same upon three
| dstinct occasions seize, kill and carry off
| their p"ey. The serpents were described as
| dark of color and fully fifteen feet in length
| They killed their victims by coiling about
| their bodies.
| The story was discredited' by the clergy
and laity until, as good luck would have it,
a correspondent of the Freemdn's Journal
| lat Dublin recalled the significant, not to
| say portentous, circum stance that the
numerous aud divers species of snakes which
had escaped from the Wilson show about
| three years previous had never been Cao-
| tured. Then OF sudden the mystery was
cleared up, aud bands for the exter-
mination of the monsters were speedily
organized among the vengeful peasantry
| Three of the snakes were shortly
thereafter seen, pursued and killed in the
bog east of Amraugh; the largest of the
snakes measured four feet; in the NAV of
each was found pullet About a month
| thereafter fourth snake was killed near
| Castelraine; this snake, upon being cut
| open, was found to contain very many little
| snakes, which Immediately glided into the
| grass and escaped before the astonished
rustics could apprehend them. Then the
snakes seemed to disappear, and, no further
depredations. being noted, the excitement
! gradually died out.