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

IL Concerning This Mysterious
and Dreadful Lizard.
. sluggish Reptile Hut When sudden-
Attacked or Cornered Splits a Dead
II Poison studying = Captive
~ submitting II to Tests.

y poison studying = Captive
by submitting II TO Tests.
H. Gila Monster tIIe1odsrma Aorri-
which lives in tho valleys and
: plains Of Arizona and Sonora,
|ilea ~ tho native Mexicans Escup-
which mean splitter derived
the spanish verb escupier, to spit.
h AZ an times given rise TO many
nInrly improbable stories, and OK
considerable curiosity; 50 1t may
N amiss 70 take q closer look
Lc mysterious object in the light Of
ntlr-ieyelopcd facts, and an expo
cc Of many years spenti in the regions
his animals habitat. The lizard
such ii evidently Is - varies In
III from fifteen to thirty inches. and
4 heavy rounded body. which touches
ground when the animal crocps
II. unless cnragod, when 1t
Iorc Greet posture, moves quicker
begins to spit. Its ~coloring Is like
81 tho rattlcsnakc. black figuring
yellow. tho entire body being APP
Hntly scaly. though in reality the
De skin il composed Of small parti-
L closely joined together. like on
broidery-work Of beads. 1t Is the
' one Of the lizard family that Is cx-
nelv
II. Paul G. Brown, In a most interest
recent article. says that the long
ted question as to tho venomous
tc OF the ella Monster was brought
q latc meeting Of tho College OF
clans AZ Philadelphia. Drs. Mitch
IA Reichart had on hand live, Wig
specimens OF the lizard. DR..
Icll caused one to attack the edgc
fish. and some Of the saliva WA
8 in a watyh-glaas This was ilrst
/ Tho vcnom o. 6isouous reptiles
!. but this was alkaline. A minute
~ was then injected into : live
kA which died IN less than nino
esy Other experiments we're tried
b a demonstrated tho dangerous char
of'thc poison According to these
ned doctors, ''~rattlesnalxo poison lisa
Atel.o in comparison"
30 writer's personal experience with
s~aurian. which covers q period OF
Twenty-Five years. may b CON
scd into the following facts. In
while In the employ Of tho United
'es Quartcrmaster Department, 1
stationed ct Fort Wallon-siDcc
ndoned-in the Territory Of Arizona,
me upper San Pedro river. and hav-
considerable leisure time. I occu-
myself frequently in collecting
Fntulas, centipcdes, snakes, campa-
faas' etc, and studying their habits.
day during the summer. our mail
: from Tucson reported TO mo that
'ad met on his homc-trip-in fact,
very morning-with a horrible ami
at sight Of which his horse SHE'D
lpitatcly, almost unscating him.
quoted the horse. which, although
aoiing in evcry limb, camc TO a
Before tho rider had time to
his revolver and take aim. the
Fnge animal disappeared among the
H which limo both sides Of the road
aat place. lie described tho animal
ooat four feet long. and not unlike
ung caiman or crocodile tho rider
: native ~ Louisiana). We had at
sor' several Mcxicans, employed as
k'makcrs and herders; and upon
nearing his imperfect description,
zane unanimously to the conclu-
mat hc had seen an escupion; only
shook their heads At tho alleged
q me animal, all stating that they
seen one exceeding . a =
s'y-'hrcc inches) in length.
NE evening | called those men to
olnce' and offered them flvo dollars
I'VE specimen. and half that amount
FAC ono, not mutilatcd 70 any
sex'ent On the following Sunday
y 'nem started out, and towards
A.ng brought In . Gila Monster
s-eight inches in length. which
NAG iassocd while Il was asleep, or
a'cntiy 50, on tho sunny surface OF
s,ee rock, which allowed thcm TO
" from behind impoverished and
a'ow Tho moose ovcr its head. Thoy
arriving II between them, hanging
oercus polo, tho ends OF which
q their shoulders, leaving be-
'ne dangling animal and It's car
I distance OF at least six feet
MY appeared 70 mo to DO uncom-
~'e, and as soon as / approached
NJ ignorance and cagerness--somc-
I, o1ose 70 tho reptile. they both
wv with: ssPor Dios, senior,
~ 'For Gods sake. sir. takc
\, ,a being AZ empty grain-room
WI place. ! lodged tho saurian in
N sn'd 70 q raw-hidc rope fastened
|, oa picket pin, giving him about
'eet play-room. This l aid win