Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-03-21
SNAKES In OLD IRELAND.
An American Traveller Says They
are There.
The Work of st. Patrick Undene in
These Degenerate Days Of Failing
From Grace.

If reports are true. tie good st. Patrick
lived In vain, writes Eugene Field from
London to the Chicago News. From
Ireland comes the news that snakes have
appeared in that country. 1t seems that
about five years ago 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 town
of Amraugh, in Tipperary, Mr. Wilson
got very drunk and attempted to clean
out his own show. The constabulary force
sought TO interfere, and whether as a
means Of self-defense or in a spirit Of hu-
NOR / know mott Mr. Wil.on turned all the
wild animals loose OF course this created
a terrible uproar, and for week the
neighborhood was in a state Of wild ex-
element. The wild beasts were duly
either captured or killed, but for three
years no trace Of the den Of snakes let
loose on that memorable night could be
found. Meanwhile Mr.. Wilson went to
prison for two years
Two years ago the people in the neigh
borhood Of Amraugh began TO miss
poultry and pigs. Several vagabOnds fell
under suspicion, were apprehcnded, and
were locked up. But the depredatiOns
continued. and finally a farmer lad testl-
fed that, upon returning late one night
from a merry-making, he had seen the
evil one in the guIse OF serpent making
way with a pig across the field. The VII
lage priest took the lad in hand and ques-
toned him closely, but nothing could
shake the fellows testimony About this
time other people detected similar fiends
in the act Of like depredations, and at
once arose hue and cry that the spot
was damned one and had been given
over TO the devil for the diaIoblcal prac-
tees. Special prayers were SAID and the
devil was publicly denounced, but the dep
relations continued, and presently from
Cagtleraine, town twelve miles distant,
came word that his satanic majesty had
begun operations IN that locality, his
victims in this instance and in this place
being sheep, not poultry and pigs.
In this dismal emergency the bishop
was most properly appealed TO- for the
priests were at their wits ends and their
Pensioners were well nigh crazed through
fear The bishop promised to investigate
the affair, but, instead Of resorting to con
ventiona' ecclesiastical methods, that holy
and sagiuious man enlisted the service of
two shrewd detectives from Dublin, the
intellectual center Of Erin. The bishop
fimcied that the devil was doing his un-
holy work by proxy not in the guise Of
dragons and serpents, but in the persons
Of certain lawlcss characters too lazy to
work and just knayish enough to steal.
The detectives, Iaboring under this heresy.
made their Investigations quietly and
without holy water or waters. and IN
the course Of a fortnight reported TO their
sanity employer that the depredatlons at
Castlcralnc and Amraugh had indeed been
committed by serpents, the detectives
themselves having seen and watched the
same upon three distinct occasions seize,
kill and carry off their prey. The serpcnts
were described ~ dark Of color and fifteen
feet III length; they killed thcly victims by
goillng about their bodies.
The story was discredted bv the clergy
and lalty until as good luck would have
it., correspondent of the Freeman $
journal (at Dublin recalled the signiii-
cant, not to say portcntous, circumstance
that the numerous and divers species of
snakes which had escaped from the vii
son show about three years previous had
never been recaptured Then of Il sudden
the mystery was cleared up, and bands for
the determination of the monsters were
speedily organized among the yeugeful
pcasntry. Three of the snakes were
shortly thereafter seen, pursued, and killed
IN the bog east Of Amraugh; the largest
Of the snakes measured feet in the NAV
Of each was found a puIet About a
month thereafter a fourth snake was killed
near CastelraInc this snake upon bcingcut
open was found to contain very nanny little
snakes, which Immediately glided into the
grass and escaped before the astonished
ristics could apprchcnd them. Sub
sequ"ntly. stimulated hy tine advertised re-
ward Of half il crown and a special dIspcn-
sahon tor every snake, alive or dead, the
country people caught eleven of the smaller
snakes none measuring more than inches
IN length. Then the snakes seemed to dis
appear and, no further dcpredations be
ing noted, the excitement gradually died
ont.
But it is now reported after lapse If
two tranquil years, that snakes have sud
IDENTIFY appeared at and around BaInngal,
an agricultural region thirty miles north
Of Castcruue. the country seat of the
Earl Of pcusloc. These snakes are of a
strange species; though none has been
length breadth thickness. yoracitv. and
ieroclty, aud to make a noise when moving
like the chatter Of dice in box; they have
created great havoc among the tocks of
of his grace the Duke, As we'll us in the
coops and sites of the peasantry. Stimuli
tancously serpents similar to the
Amraugh and Castelrainc varmints have
appeared still farther to the eastward,
aud have caused such panic that the
country folks are afraid to venture out of
doors after nightfall
The theory is that in fire years the rep
tiles let loose 10y the wretchcd Wilson
during his ribald drunken frenzy have
multiplied So numerously that a militant
union of church and State will be neces-
sary to restore the island to the virgin
condition IN which the good St. Patrick
left it,