St. Paul daily globe., 1892-07-10

Tor which she nearly forfeited her young
life. 1t was in New York city. as the
readers of the Leader will refnam-
ber,. that the young lady, while
eXhlpltrng IN museum, was attacked
by the reptile and so badly hitten that
the medical staff of Bellevue hospital
several times gave her up for dead. But
she clung to life with tenacity worthy
the brave little soldier that she is. and
IN less than week was among
her Gen of snakes again. She
was to have opened a weeks engage
ment at Harry Davis Fifth Avenue
museum-theater last Monday, but did
not arrive there until evening.
when she went right to work, and
gave startling performance. She was
scarcely out of the New York hos
|, ,pital until she was bitten again il,
Buffalo, and was i'll several davs. IL
was the effects of this last mishap that
delayed her visit to Pittsburg. She
thought she had fully recovered, and
last week went to work in Washington
City and finished her engagement, but
on Sunday morning when she was about
to leave for this city she was suddenly
stricken down and had to be taken to a
hotel.
Yes" she said, in answer to the
writer's questioning today, Il make INV
home among my snakes. l have done
so Tor five years, and / have really
become attached to them, strange as
it MAJ seem. The first time |
was ever bitten was in New York
City. short time ago. One of nv rat
tiers bit me OH the index finger of NV
left hand, and as you see it is crippled
for life" And the Young lady exhibited
very crooked and disfigured finger.
Il will never forget the sensation" she
went on, that went through me when l
felt the poison of the snake going
through my system. 1t is something [
cannot describe. The pain l suffered
was eXcruclating; it was the agonv of
death. could feel the poison working
toward my heart. and knew that as soon
as it reached that vital part my earthly
career would be at all end. AS it
worked around my heart went into
COMMISSIONS, and L knew no more for
several hours, when | regained con-
sciouSDess. ] was sick then for about
ten days, but finally recovered and re-
sumed business. About two weeks ago
was bitten the second time. | was
then performing in Buffalo. This time
was ''nipped' by what is considered
the most deadly of all snakes,s the
ella monster, Mexican species
This reptiles very breath is poisonous.
1t bit me on the same finger as the rat
tier, and l was laid up for another
week. In that time was given about
two gallons of whisky, and, in fact, was
kept in stuper all the time. l got over
that all right and congratulated myself
that lived to tell the tale. 4 am yerv
weak, however, since, as is evidenced
from the fact that / swooned at the
depot in Washington Sunday. fasc =
How did | get into this business?
Why, because l had no other way to
earn my living for myself and two
babes. didn't know whata snake was.
scarcely, then, but, when a museum,
me a den of rattlesnakes. I gladly ac-ye
cepted, as could do nothing eise.a In
a short time 1 was before the public,
and l have come to like the life.t I
catch all my own snakes now, and
have large number of them.
feed the Gila monster nothing but
hard-bOiled eggs, milk and water, and
to the rattlers | giveyoung mice and
Sparrows. Quite luxury, isn't it? No,
1T don't cost so much, because 1 only
feed them Once'a a week. No, 1 do not
extract the poison from my snakes. 1t
is all bOSh about snake charmers re-
moving the fangs of snakes, as it can't
be done, because if you did they would
die. Their poison to them is the same
as is saliva to the human being. It is
part of their life blood"
Here Miss Sunwell took the reporter
into the room where-she keeps her rep
tiles when not exhibiting them. The
Gila. of which she spoke, is repulsiye
looking thing about fifteen inches long,
with body very much resembling an
alligator i'll shape. 1t has four legs.
and its skin is beaded in spots of gold
and black. 1t has fangs like a snake,
and besides initiates itself before making
an attack. Its breath is then deadly
poison. Her rattlers are about two
yards in length.