The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-12-15
A STRANGE STORY.
PECULIAR ACTION OF A BLACkSNAKE
OVER A COFFIN.

Italian F1ddler-The Blood Stained Sti-
letto Found In the Iron Chest.
The story which 1 am about to narrate
is related upon the authority of a reliable
witness who lives in Louisa county, Va,
and was once a well known public official
| of that county. He maintains that the
details are correct and adds that he can
furnish at least two trustworthy witnesses
who will make affidavits to his statements.
/ 1t was several years ago, according to
my informant, near the little rural settle
ment of Boyd's Tavern, in Albermarle
county, short distance from the Fluvan-
ma line. For many years an old Italian
named Faranchini had been "a familiar
figure in that section. He had no rela-
tives, but lived sort of hermit life in
rude, dilapidated two story house about
half mile from the tavern Nearly ev-
cry night he could be seen playing the fid-
die at the tavern, and in times of elections
he took in quite snug sum for his mu-
steal talent. There was something mys-
terious about the old foreigner. He was
known to have earned considerable mon
~, but rarely, if ever, did any one see him
make purchase. He was never known to
take drink. Alright could be seen shin
ing family from. his window every night,
long after other people had retired Some
said the old man had plenty of money,
and was burying it from time to time in
some secret place.
One afternoon in December the old man
died suddenly. A rumor spread that he
! had been poison for his treasures. There
was no one to look after the burial ar
rangements, and so pine box was Sc
cured at the expense of charity. Three
young men who had often danced the Vir-
| ginia reel to his music agreed to sit up
with the remains during the night. A
| dreary looking rain made matters doubly
uncomfortable, and at 10 o'clock the three
charitable young men were seated by
! log fire that glowed in the old fashioned
fireplace, smoking their pipes and telling
| anecdotes, while the body of the Italian
| lay in the rude coffin some 10 feet away
They had chatted away for two hours,
when one of them proposed a game of
| cards
This was agreed to- and the game was
| interspersed now and then with glass of
cider from a big jug that sat on one side.
! An old fashioned clock on the shelf
| struck l2. The last stroke had scarcely
| died away in the dense stiffness when one
| of the men aroused himself suddenly, drop
| ped his hand on the table and stood up
| from the stool on which he was seated
| His hair was on end, his eyes were twice
their usual size, and with one hand he
| pointed nervously to the coffin in the cor
| ner. The other two men left their seats
| simultaneously and were in the act of
| leaving the room when the first caught his
companions by the arm, and the three
| cautiously approached a step nearer
"Hiss! Hiss! Hissr' came the sound at
~e
coffin, while from trapdoor, it's tail coil
ed around one of the Stats, hung long
| blacksnake that swung back and forth
| like pendulum over the entire length of
the coffin. It's head swept within an inch
or so of the Italian, aud the hideous thing
| fixed its flesh tinted eyes on the face, as if
trying to charm the miser.
The three men stood perfectly still, as
though riveted to the floor, and for several
| moments none spoke. The countenance
| of one of them was pale as sheet. An
other stared at his companions with a be-
| wildered query written on his face, while
| the third, horror stricken, seized the po-
| ker, and creeping stealthily toward the
snake aimed a terrible blow at the intrud-
er But the latter was not to be outwit
ted Quick as fash it lodged the weap-
on and coiling up disappeared through a
crevice in the trapdoor. The men gazed
at each other mystifed.
conference was held, and each of the
men simultaneously recalled number of
strange stories that had furnished sub
! jects for gossip about the Italian For
| half an hour this was continued until
| finally they relapsed into half asleep mo-
notony and drowsily pulled their pipes
| Not sound could be heard save the dreary
patter of the rain on the window panes.
! The lamp fiickered and went out, leaving
only the dim rays of the freight. One
of the men aroused himself with yawn,
and got up to refill the lamp. Scarcely
was this done before the men were aston
ished to see the snake reappear from the
trapdoor. The reptile was even holder
than before AS it swept over the length
of the coffin, it's eyes glistened as if threat
ening those disturbing it. One of them
hurled stick of wood at the hideous
thing, which avoided the blow, and just
as before vanished through the trapdoor.
Several times it reappeared, and every eff
| fort was made to kill it, but all to no pur
pose. 1t was impossible to strike the rep
tile.
The men planned number of schemes
to catch the intruder unawares. One of
them concealed himself behind the coffin
and kept perfectly still. He waited half
an hour for the intruder to come from his
hiding place This, too, failed.
Early the next morning every body in the
neighborhood had learned of the strange
experience in old Faranchini's domicile.
Some said the mystery ought to be inves-
tigated, while others declared they could
not be paid to enter the misers house.
That morning the Italian was buried in
the old burying ground, overgrown with
briers and underbrush. One or two graves
had caved in years before, and moss COW
cred bricks were scattered about the place.
No funeral services were held The body
was buried by several men who lived in
the neighborhood, and the violin, which
bore the mark of age, was also placed in
the grave with its owner.
few hours later the three young men
who had kept watch over the remains the
night before, together with two others,
who had manifested great deal of Curl
osity in the affair, determined to investi-
gate the mystery of the previous night.
They searched the room in which Faran-
chini slept Nothing unusual was discov-
cred. BY means of a ladder they gained
access to the garrett and there instituted q