Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-30
A DANGEROUS GAME.
Some Youngsters in Fort Worth Carrying
OH a Detestabie Performance That
People Should he on Guard Against.
FORT WORTH, May 90, iSol.
Editor Gazette.


Editor Gazette.
am not one of those who rush into print
with view to telling our city officials what
they ought to do or ought to not do. If [
have any of that kind OF thing on my mind
| 90 directly TO the officials with it. Our
officials understand their duty better than
il is understood by others. and my expert
ence and observations tell me that no city
officials are more ready to perform every
legitimate duty than are the officials of
Fort Worth. and that experience and those
observations have not been confined to this
particular city, by any means. This article,
then. is not directed specially 10 our
officials. but is offered simply as a warning
to our citizens who might be taken una
wares by a performance now apparently
common in our midst-the work of z lot of
evidently tnoughtleSS boys. They call it
.,snaking." An artificial snake several
'8eet in length is provised Of rubber and
laid, after night. at some point along the
sidewalk OF 4 frequented street. y string
is attached to the snake and carried TO
a place of ConceGlmcnt where half
a dozen or more of the actors are hidden
away 40 see the fun" When person
comes along the string Is pulled, causing
the snake to crawl out about his feet.
OF course YOU can imagine the result, both
as relates TO the person ''sna6ed.' and the
.Hpuths hidden away inside some board
tanned; indeed, the trick appears 10 be
mainly performed upon ladies'. as we have
up to this time heard of no others who nave
been interfered with
Not many days ago an old negro woman
in the northeastern portion of the city was
scared almost TO death by one Of these
: 'snaking'' performances She fell in her
fright and for a time was helpless-so the
story goes. On Monday night of this week
four young ladies. attended by three gentle
men escorts. We're returning to their homes
from a church meeting. About the corner
of Belknap and Grove streets large
snake" was discovered crawling among
iheir feet. One of the young ladies had
Stepped upon 1t. and as the cord was jerked
from d neighboring fence corner it Tapped
about her feet and So frightened her that
the shock TO her nervous system came near
bringing on an attack of severe illness. She
is not entirely recovered at the time of this
writing-F'riday. The gentlemen on rally
ing to kill the snake discovered the trick
and captured the reptile. They carried it
away under 4 somewhat saucy protest of
its owners, who followed up pressing their
demands for its return, 10 the home of the
ladies' and when they found their demands
We're not to be acceded to, they retired with
threats of laying for the gentlemen and
taking vengeance, on their return 10 their
own homes.
lady, the wife of prominent citizen. was
0nt visiting ueighboring family. About
" o'clock while returning attended by a
young man belonging to the family she had
been visiting, snake appeared under
foot and began to cut antics, not far from
where the appearance had been put in Mon
day night. Having heard of the previous
performances III This line she was not so
seriously frightened as she might other
wise have been, though her uncertainty as
10 the real character OF the apparitiOn led
into considerable fright us it was. This
''snake" was captured also.
The parties engaged i'll this detestablc
performance are boys from about ten TO
sixteen years OF age The writer now has
two of the captured snakes i'll his pos
session. which are held subject to the order
OF policeman should they be wanted. They
are rubbars thai have been cut from the
WLeess OF a bicycle. each from 4 different
One OF the rubbers appears to
be almost entirely new. Should police
man need them in his business he can learn
where 10 find them by iuquiring at THE
GAZETTE office.
understand that this same game is be-
ing played in other portions of the city,
and while do not know That it involves
any violation of law. | can see that 1t might
lead to very serious consequences III some
way or other. On this account | feel that
it ought to be promptly puJ down by gen
eral censure at least. If allowed TO go on
rs At present. the time will soon come that
shall find ladies afraid TO appear on our
streets after nightfall. *T+.