The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1893-10-26
AM rAsT.INpIAN oHosr.
a Proved TO lie n Boa- Constructor T7eeni
Feet In Length.


Feet In Length.
Almost every town or village has its
haunted house and the little village settle
ment Of Wanda, in India, was no exception.
Here n number Of English officers and their
families live during the warmer months,
returning TO their respective commando
later on. The rumor that Captain Beau
champs house was haunted was circulated
by n servant-a supersttious old English
man who had followed the Captain all over
the world, and was, all things considered, a
faithful servitor. Thomas had for some days
heard curious sounds about the house, Az
first no thought there were rats or mice In
the wall He was awakened one night bya
most extraordinary noise. The door-bell
vas ringing violently and q struggling,
writing noise In the wall Of tho house
not in one place, but in several at once.
This was followed by complete silence,
and as Thomas sat up in bed, his hair
threatening to stand or end, he was posi-
tive he heard a long-drawu sigh. THIS was
the last feather. SO, leaping from tho
couch, he rushed 10 his employers room and
aroused him. avowing that che place was
haunted, aud few moments later the en-
tire household was In til @ room.
The notoriety so cheapy earned became
exceedingly dlsagrceable. First camo
strangers, natives and others, who stood in
front Of tho house day aud nj yht and looked
a. II with wondering curiosity. Matters
stood in this shape for some days, when one
uloruiug party " jugViers passed through
the town aud iinay reached the haunted
house. 40 Tiers vcro numlei OF children
IL tie family TIC performers we're invited
into The ..rou- a. o.. g~rc ~ CO. 49, ai1mert
Finally, ~ a winding M, one ~ them took
out a small oval basket, having an orihce In
the top, and seating himself near IL began
TO play quaint air upon flute
After industriously playing for few mo
mcnts, says a correspondent OF tho Phia
delphia Times, up through the hole In tho
basket came the head OF a cobra-onc OF tho
most poisonous OF snakes up came tho
hideous head with its hood that gave a
malignant appearance 10 the reptile, and
when twelve or fifteen inches above the
basket IL began TO wave 10 and fro as II In
obedience 70 the measure of the music.
After the snake dauce-or the snake
charming" as Europeans arc wont 10 call
1.-THE Indian snake charmer walked sround
the house and among the bushes pointed
out hole which might have been made by a
rabbit To one OF the native attendants he
said that for snail sum extra he would
take out cobra which he thought was in
VIC nOiti lht Enknen htl NV W.
lieve Il, but willingly submitted TO the ex.
pertinent, and seating himself before the
hole tho magician began his mournful
plant
/ For fifteen minutes he kept up the noise,
/ and then from the opening there appeared
| tho ugly, hooded head OF cobra Another
| hole was soon found this beng directly at
/ the base OF the wall Of the house. The man
/ examined IL few moments carefully, and
/ then began 20 play upon the flute.
Hardly had the group gathered about tho
performer before a most remarkable nolso
came from the house. First, there was a
sound as Of escaping steam; then a sound
OF some great body striking the wall and
rubbing against tho tlmbors. Dust in
clouds came from the hole and the
"charmer" started back Ia terror over
turning the man behind him. Recovering
himself he darted at the hole and thrusting
his arm in drew out, not a cobra, but the
tail OF a much larger snake Astonishment
was depicted on tho natives face and hor-
ror In those Of many Of the spol tators, as
he stood holding the tip Of the tail, aud five
feet of the body was visible,
For second the man hesitated Then no.
gaining his courage he shouted Ia Hindoo-
stance for the lockers on TO stand back,
and taking n good grip upon the tail he
pulled gradually backward. Out II came, foot
by foot. inch by inch, 3, 10, 10, 10 feet--ls,
was there no endY--lS feet OF quivering
snake fo3h ~ large rs a r'ar's thigh
A quick jerk now and the entire monster
was clear-at least twenty feet in length
big enough TO swallow deer, and yet held
by single man. The native was, however
not in tho least discouraged. He chung "a
the tail, and as the huge reptile turned
toward him with an angry hiss he gave il a
swinging motion by turning slowly. Grad
ually he increased his speed, turning faster
and faster, until no seemed the center Of O
wheel, the spolSes of which were the body
OF the python. SO rapid was the motion
that the snakes body was perfectly
straight, and II was evident that as long as
tho motion could be kept up the man was
safe but IL the monster could reach him he
would in moment be crushed In the hor-
rible folds OF the reptile.
The lookers-on had long since fed, the
natives had gone shrleking up the street
the Englishman alone standing by, but ever
he did not know what TO do, as II was i'm
possible 10 shoot the animal as IL was fyinG
around; so he stood a few minutes aghas
at the curious position Of the man.
II soon became apparent that the charmel
knew what he was about Not far from th'
house stood stout nag stan, iOOt ana
half through, Of solid tealSwood, and toward
this he was gradually moving, whirling th'
snake faster and faster Now he was with
In twenty-five feet OF II, and suddenly
dawned on the few spectators what no wa
about 10 do. This was TO strike the head o
the reptile against the pole. Nearer h
came, whrling faster and faster, until tn
reptile stood out like whip lash, aud then
with quick step forward, he brought tn
head OF the reptile against the wood with
crushing sound. He released his hold an'
the great reptile doubled up In convui
s.ye folds, digging up the earth and sendinl
clouds OF dust into the air, finally dropping
limp aud lffeless to the ground. ~
A wondering crowd soon surrounded tn
dead boa, the now bravo natives expressin
| their opinions as TO It's size. One thing wa
! evident that here was the "ghost" Tn
/ big snake had In some way obtained en-
trance TO the house, probably through tn
J hole IA tho foundation, and had produce
tho mysterious sounds heard by the mer
The snake-charmers had, as Is their genori
custom, placed a harmless cobra IN the hol
G and before they had time 20 call IL out
I had encountered the big boa, with the aboy
S result. s-ssilo -,s.sf, -
!, s.stimntnr Trains Soeed.
Inquiry Is frequently made as to how tb