The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-26
A SPIDERS DEADLY BITE.
Joe Thweatt is Bitten and Dies In
Agony.

agony
I FTom the Columbus (Gd) Enquirer-Sl,n.
Joe Thweatt, a negro employe of the Gen.
trial railroad, died in great agony from the
deadly bite of venomous spider on Mon
day afternoon.
That spiders abound in Columbus is a
self evident fact, as after almost every
shower the thread-like webs which the
active insects weave from tree 10 tree are
seen shining in the sun, but that a breed
exists 80 loaded with venom that its bite
win produce death in a few hours has
hitherto been unsupported. 1t may be that
the spider which caused the death of Joe
Ihweatt was an importation from
Texas and was a near relative to the deadly
tarantula, but no matter where the spider
came from, it was lurking in the upper
story of the Central railroad building and
when Thweatt went to work he was as we'll
and healthy negro as could be found in
Columbus An hour later the spider drove
Is venomous sting into his body; again an
hour passed and he was suffering torture,
and big swelling marked the place where
the poison had penetrated into his veins.
At O'Clock the same day he was a corpse,
For long time past the upper part of the
Central railroad building has been used as a
sort or storage room where all kinds of pa
pers were left, which were Of no particular
use, and which the laws of the railroad
made 1t imperative to save The papers
were done up in bundles, and frequently
when the clerks and porters climbed up into
the store room to deposit additional bundles
they were startled by large black spiders,
which fled as the door was opened admit
ting daylight and hid themselves in dark
| corners and In the cracks of the flooring.
The spiders were hideous to look at and they
| gave an unpleasant impression of slow cor
ruption and decay. but beyond their hateful
appearance they were considered harmless.
| On Monday morning Mr.. Caudler. the
| chief clerk OF the office, decided to have
| the bundles OF papers removed to an old
| building known as the station house, and
/ TO have the store room cleaned Joe
| Ihweatt and Iillson Harris we're detailed
| FOR the work, and at z O'Clock they COM
menced their labors The day was hot.
and both the men wore very light cloth
| ing. They had carried two loads of naper
| to the new store room and were preparing
a third Tor transportation when Thweatt
| suddenly exclaimed that a spider had bit
| ten him on the body. He said IL hurt
little, but he thought nothing
Of it, and carried the bundle and returned
for more. While Harris was yet piing the
packages together, Thweat went over and
sat down, saying be felt tired. A few min
utes more and the tired feeling had given
place to gripping pains, and he complained
or feeling very sick. Harris asked his com
panion If he had not better quit work, but
Thweatt replied that he thought he would
soon be better. and he even tried to carry
another load to the station house His suf-
ferings were, however, too great 10 allow
him to carry out his intentions, and he was
forced to give up altogether. After resting
for half an hour. Thweatt made his way.to
a negro doctor named Swan and asked for
treatment The doctor did all he could,
but the sufferer grew rapidly worse and
died before he could be moved
Yesterday the employees of the Central
railroad took up collection, with which IA
coffin was purchased. and the body was sent
to Chipley where the dead mans wife lives
with two snail children. What became OF
the spider, or II there are many more of the
same breed in Columbus has not been ascer-
tanned.