St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-26
CHARMED By "A SNAKE.
An Able-Bodied Man Made Help
less by the Serpent's Subtle


less by the Serpent's Subtle
Spell.
J. W. Felts, prominent and reliable
citizen of the adjoining county of Cheat
ham, says a Clarksville (Tann.) CORE
spondent of the st. Louis Globe-DemO-
crat, relates the following extraordinary
story of the influence eXerted upon him
by a rattlesnake a short time ago:
II started out one day in company
with a colOred man TO cut some timber.
having measuring pole III hand. the
negro carrying an aX. After a time we
separated, and had not gone tar before
| noticed large rattleSndke i'll the path
ahead OF me. Apparently we diScov-
cred each other about the same time,
and both stopped. My first thought was
to kill the reptile, but he at once threw
himself into coil, and | concluded, as
the space around~WaS open, and not
fearing his escape, to wait and see what
the snake would do. l was soon in
tenty watching his movements. He
cut up more antics than | had ever seen
performed by snake. 10 me 1t was a
picture calculated to attract and riYet
attention, and my purpose of deStruc
ton was soon forgotten.
Ere l. WAS dWdI6 VI IL SLOOu. VI
rather stopped spellbound, as if trans
fixed to the spot, without the power of
speaking or moving, save in obedience
to the will of my captor. felt the dis
tance between us continually leSsening,
and, although l was conscious OF my
perilous position, seemed pOwerless to
change it, and, what may seem to be
more strange, had no desire to do so,
Oniy to approach nearer the object that
under different circumstances would
have been one OF terror rather than at
traction. | knew we were gradually
nearing each other, but how | could not
tell, not being conscious of moving, and
the snake seemed to- occupy the same
position relatively as at first. | only
know that iii the beginnlng stood erect,
now | was in a kneeling position, my
body inclined forward, my right hand
extended, gradually nearing the snake,
not in a straight line, but Oscillating.
and at each movement lesSening the dis
tance. From the first moment that [
caught the eye of the reptile there
seemed line extending from each of
his eyes to mine, about the size of
ordinary sewing thread, which ned
to exert a power over me sufficient to
hold me and make me Subseryient to his
will.
''How long l remained in this posi-
ton know not. Tie colored man be-
coming uneasy at my prolonged ab-
sence commenced calling me. | could
distinctly hear him, but had no power
to answer. Finally searching for me he
found me in the attitude described He
again called to me. but as before paid
no attention to him. Then he came
nearer and discovered the huge reptile
within a few feet of me c0led for the
deadly spring, my right hand within
few inc1eS of his mouth, each gazing
intently into the others eyes. He com
pretended the situation at once, took
hold of me violently, and threw me
backward from the snake, thus partially
breaking the spell. No effort was made
bv the snake to escape. The negro at
once killed the snake, while L all the
time was begging him not 10 do so. 1t
measured about six feet in length and
fourteen inches in circumference and
had eight rattles.
81 was so completely under the in
fluence of the snake that | could not
shake it Off, nor, in fact, had any dis
position to do so. The hallucination
was not only pleasant but 9Xhilarating,
and there WAS only lacking one undefin-
able sUnething-l could not tell what,
but it seemed almost within my grasp
to make my happiness complete. So
powerful was the effect upon my sys-
ten that Was stricken down with a
severe spell Of sickness"