The sun., 1893-07-09

He Escaped Their Bites. but He Died n Raw.
Ing Maniac.


Ing Maniac.
Il have seen good many strange sequen-
ees Of the bites OF rattlesnakes and other poi
sonous reptiles" said John F. Kent of Elk
county. Pa. but mono OF them was as strange
as case had cognizance OF three years ago.
In which the victim was not bitten at all. but
whose experience with rattlesnakes was such
that tho result could not have been moro tor
rible had one Of th6 snakes. or oil Of them.
sunk his iangs into the poor fellow, and left IA
full charge Of venom in his blood.
This occurred In the pney woods OF Ala
bama. l was down there as the agent OF firm
OF Pennsylvania lumber operators. 1t was
early In the spring weeks before rattlesnake es
would have thought Of appearing yet around
my native hills and woods. where there are
plenty Of them to appear. by the way. when
their season arrives. A man named Henry
Hughes, big. strapping fellow. who was q
timber cutter in the piney woods. slept in a
little, log hut he had put up for himself in the
woods. Along In March In that country there
are apt to come quite chilly days and nights
isn't any too comfortable. The weather had
struck the woods. and Hughes covered himself
with his blanket when he bunked in.
He awoke at daylight next morning with a
strong sense OF oppression about him. He lay
something which was neither cold nor warm.
bHt m9st n; It, and was lying against one
sSa RSs fRRse'S ~ sess siss
against his check. The snakes head was in
the the, centre % q the coll: not more than five
nff aS S' oas He closed
bis eyes again IN helpless way. and lay snf-
ferinG the most terrible ,msntal torture for
go mad IL he did not make somo effort TO
escape from his frlshtfal situation. he strai ined
S % noced S snse Isad %us
fat on the coil. and that Its eyes were closed.
The 4, deadly reptle was :, evidently asleep.
q sudden spring to his feet, and his eyes me-
ehanlealiy turned toward the foot OF. the bed.
doby now Two ohsr
cheek. were coiIed on the blank et at Ills knees.
one on one side and ono on tho other.
tAgain the RNor fs2T lay helpless hemmsd
thought he was dying. But by degrees his
will power, returned to him. and he was at last
S5e 1 %abs tho Got to yet at safe
tho one on his cheek as he lay the chances
were hundred Ire to one that i would snk ts
nll his strength. he made one wild bound
at the same moment throwing the upper
% h sHnkt at its nses the Ee Ss
thrown couple OF feet away. and instantly
e"Tns % had s TetweesS anShss fnS
and the door of the hut and cut oil his escape.
apS hs s bsx Other and ns s
had found their way from beneath the blanket
10 ss o5h h
'oth md remembered no more;
AT II o'cl9ek that m ornIng Hughes had not
fhis was SO m unusual a circSmstance @ nth tRnt It's
Working COMPANIONS made up tbeir m inds that |
oIa " mus must have hnpnened m to to him. and q
,ut, to all appea rance dead. Seeing the three
bsn lis sht WITH tne ssnaE
afrSG Elm him tbsrs to tho bH before thsy
e would be soIzed With Violent convuisions' co. Visions
hem. doetor was sammoned from from
town t1,ss miles b,sins stant Hughes tho
'as startled at the change In him. He was
aving maniac. The, doctor told me that no
nd mental strain to which he had been sub
,Meted M during his short but frig htiul experience
fm' ho San hs
oetor said that his death would be but tho
latter tSd Of ,nr few iHsys How long hs lived
1T is most extraordinary how snake poison
cts { IS on different persons On that same trip
! nine uOWn Souln i happened To b1 IN n
eli Ghborhood whore water moccasins were
The water moccasin belongs to
no same family with the rattlesnake and cop
erhend. and is Just as poisonous In the To-
llity speak OF. In Georgia. near Hawkins-
He. q little negro boy was Ditten by mocca-
in while he was padding with his hands In a
ool OF water The snake struck him In the
9y gra bhet the snake and pulled It loose
vice more. His cries brought some men to
Is did. who kllled the snake and carried tho
py home. His arm and whole body became
,rribly swollen and the little fellow died after
few hours OF the most intense suffering.
" Only day or so afterward some m en- work
g near the same water SAW little negro
rl. not more than six years old grab down
to the water and bring up good -sized
soeasin. They ran to her aid. but found her
10 men reached her. the snake plunged its
n1Gs several times int her hand and arm.
70 fun she was having, and laughed the more.
he men killed. tho snake and hurried homo
lth the child, Tho poison had not tho slight
I effect ON her. the only Inconvenience that
suited from 1t belpg u soreness where the
q "A had NH M ciura1 fha HAlhu 1 1