St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-22
A Brazilian Planter Driven to
Mania by the Killing Of
His Wife.
Crushed Before His Eyes in
the Shiny Embraces Of
a Python.
A Test Of Courage That COM
passed the Death Of the
Girl Wife.


perhaps, one of the most widely travelled
commercial men of thai city. represent
ng, as he does. some of the largest iron
manufacturing Industries in the United
States. Observant Of everything tina
transpires about him he has stock OF
anecdotes large enough TO fill volume
az voluminouS as labor commissioners
report. AccOstng representative OF
the GLOBE, he said:
You men on the press are always
looking for hotel stories, and there's
one here to-day. DO you see that grey
haired man over there?" pointing as he
spoke to tall, sun-tanned guest who
sat with crossed hands in one of the
benches.
.'His name" continued the New
Yorker, sis Bertram Smith. lie is a
Brazilian by everything but birth,
having lived there almost all his life,
and it was there that | met him eight
years ago. He owned vast tract OF
land in the Amazon valley, near the
base of the Andes. and Lad the sweetest
little girl for wife that mortal man
could wish for. Smith was prospecting
for all sorts of mineral on his property
there, and | sold him lot of machinery
that was never delivered. FL tell you
why.
when was down at their place
Smith and his wife had just returned
from the honeymoon. He wOrShipped
the very ground the girl trod, and she
in turn was as devoted as ever woman
can be. The house they lived in Was
| one-story affair, not pretty to look at
externally, except that it was was COW
cred by creeping plants, but plenty OF
room and the essence of prettlnesS and
comfort within.
"Mrs. Smith came from Rio Janeiro.
She had mortal horror of snakes. ana
her husband used to joke her about 1T.
Now, that country is full of snakes, boa
constructors thirty feet long and as thick
as sand flies. There was a garden about
five acres in extent about the place. and
here it was that the bride Of few
months used to get her outdoor eXer-
else, except when accompanied by her
husband, at which time, | believe, she
would have faced all the cObraS in the
country. The prospecting works were
about three miles from the house, and
one morning Smith started for there on
horseback. He had a rifle with him.
On his way home he saw a SiXteen-foot
boa wlnd its sinuOus way across
TIC wagon IOdu. Inv hluCOuo lOoN WOO
raised for an instant. and the bead-like
eyes gared at the intru Ter: the next
instant a bullet had found its way to
the reptiles brain. and with few con-
WILSON'S of its Shiny body the python
was dead. Being only about three
quarters of a mile from the house. Smith
determined to try what effect the sight
of a dead boa would have in quoting
his wife's fears.
ole made fast his hitching rein to the
snakes neck and dragged it through
the gates into the garden. Then he
went into the house and told Mrs. Smith
about it. She implored him to have it
removed, and at last he consented.
Then, fearing she would lose prestige
in his eyes by an exhibition OF coward
ice, she said:
81 want the awful thing taken out of
the garden, but to show you | am not
afraid of it | will go out there alone and
inspect the remains
He scarcely expected she would do
it. The dusk was falling and the bushes
in the garden began to cast grueSome
shadows about them. The girl was
game though. She got little pearl
handled revolver from a drawer, threw
a summer shawl over her head and
went out.
If you hear me shoot she said,
you will know that the boa has come to
life, and | shall expect you to rescue
me- Then she threw him a smile and
| kiss. and was gone.
smith didn't like to discourage her,
but he wished he hadn't suggested the
| thing. He sat there writing. but every
| breath of wind seemed, as it blew
through the open windows, to bring
with it whisper of impending evil. He
| tried to laugh at his fears, but they
would recur in spite of him.
"Suddenly pistol shot rang out on
the still air.
Good God, He started wildly, seized
] his rifle and made for the door. Then
he laughed at himself. OF course she
had fired the shot to brighten him. What
| possible harm could come to her in the
garden with Seven-toot palisade about
| it? PShaWi ana he sat down again. but
he kept his rifle in his hand and list
ened.
"Why didn't she return? Surely it
was time. Then he thought he heard
scream, and at last in a frenzy OF doubt
he burst through the glass doors and
went in search of her.
Through the bushes he ran. calling
her name at every step. There was no
answer save the signing of the wind
through the caSSia trees. On he sped,
with a horrible fear in his heart of he
knew not what. 1t had become quite
dark, and no sign had he found of the
missing wife. Even as he neared the
spot where lay the dead snake, the huS
band nursed hope that she was just
hiding to frighten him.
Now he was nearing the spot. Great
heaven, what was that? There was
something wrong. Madly he rushed
forward possessed of a dazed, terrified
consciousness that the snake had come
to life and was moving. A few steps
further. and then the sight that met his
gaze was enough to have turned him
to stone. There lay the dead boa
just as he had left it. Near it
was another aud larger one, evidently
the mate of the reptile he had slain.
This hellish monster was cOiled tightly
about some white object, and the man
over yonder became raving maniac as
ne followed with his eyes the sWaying
motion of the brute's scaly head. The
circles of the snakes body contracted
and there was a horrible, cracking
sound. Then an arm, dainty white
clad arm. was released from its bond
aye. 1t fell to the earth and Smith saw
| it. He knew that the one being he
loved best on earth was wrapped in that
awful embrace. He heard the cracking
of bones and knew that his wife's deli
cate frame was being crushed to a
shapeless mass. He saw the tongue of
the snake licking leisurely the fair face
which had smiled at him so sweetly
but few moments before, but he was
mercifully bereft of reason, and he
laughed at the sight.
"What was left of that poor little
woman's body was recovered by the
search party that went to look for both
of them an hour later. She was buried
in the old cemetery at Rio Janeiro, but
Smith knew nothing about it. He was
an idiot for six months, and my contract
for mining machinery went by the
board. How on earth that man lived it
out don't know. There he is; go and
ask him."
A Startling Admission.