The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-12-01
a HoosIER SNAKE STORY:
The Terrible Monster That Made JAY COun-
Y

rho Terrible Monster That Made Jay Coua-
recent dispatch from Portland,
Ind, says: The torrid weather of the
past few days has revived the memory
Of Jay county's great serpent and re.
ffeshed the many wild, weird tales
concerning It:
Probably fifteen years have elapsed
since it was first seen in Richland
township. 1t was on u summer after
noon and a gang of men were engaged
with old-fashioned ''cradles" harvest
ing grain. Near by the field where
they were ut work ran d little brook;
lined Oh both sides with stubby viii.
lows; long tangled grass and rank
weeds During the afternoon a boy in
the party wandered down toward
this spot and was surprised al
most into spcechless1ess by seeing
a snake, whose dimensions We're
to him simply mammoth, dragging its
sinuous length along with the rapidity
of u race horse. He gave the alarm. A
hunting party was organized in short
order and, armed with rifles, shotguns,
revolvers, hoes, spades and everything
available for weapons, the crowd start
ed on the hunt, but were unsuccessful
The next day two hundred men Joined
in the search. many of the men horse
back, with dogs of every kind follow.
ing. With andaunted persistence they
beat to and fro through the bushes,
and at several times it was thought
that his snalzeship had been sighted,
but the report proved false. All that
could be found was wide track in the
brooks muddy bank and furrow
through the fields of waving grain.
The disappointed hunters left for home,
and for years the snake was supposed
to be a myth. Later, however, it bobbcd
up again, and nearly frightened a man
out of his wits.
At the time the Lake Erie & West
crn Railroad Co. had a crew of men
| at work filing in deep cut at Curtis
Hill, eight miles of this city. The
day was a torrid one. \ short dis.
tance from where the men were at
work cattle were quietly feeding under
the shade of some scrawny oaks. Sud
denly there was cOmmOtIcn among
them, and with heads in the air, eyes
dilated and nostrils listened with fear,
they beloved with fright and started
away at a more speedy gait than ever
was shown by a sta1npeded herd on the
| prairies. One OF the men who had
been noticing the cattle'S queer ac-
! tions ran up on the, bank and was al
| most Ioaralyzed at the sight which met
| his eyes.
| Twined about one of the oaks was a
huge serpent, whose coils enveloped
| the trunk of the tree in a fold which
| to man or beast would have proved a
fearful death. It's sides were dotted,
| its vicious little eyes seemed to emit
| flames of fire, and from the wide-open
mouth, with its rows of Jagged teeth,
| darted long, red tongue.
| The spectator was for the time being
! motionless with fright, but when the
| immense snake slowly unwound its
| tortuous length and cast longing
| chances toward him the power of loco
| motion returned, and he ran as though
| v,,1,.S 1,x-Sa 1orri0Yo Of S11yv
moning hel p, he returned to the spot,
but the snake had vanished, and all
search failed to reveal it. To his COM
rades he described it fully for
ty feet long, with body of
| prodigious size. For days afterward
hogs and other small domestic animals
were missing in the neighborhood. and
mothers frightened their children into
| Il restless sleep by tales of the horri bic
monster which would come and devour
them in case they did not behave them
| selves.
| appearance was out in jackson town
ship One dark summer night it fairl y
terrorized gypsy camp. The leader
of the gypsies told graphic tale re-
garding the event. He said that on
the night in question his family and a
from Iowa to the gypsy queens home
in Ohio camped near little
creek They had pitched their tents,
partaken of the evening meal,
and fast asleep, when the
neighing of the horses and the bark
ing of the dogs awakened them. Men,
women and children alike were on their
feet in an instant, but through the
darkness nothing could be seen.
The dogs still kept up their turmoil
near the camp, but all at once there
was a hush. The frightened ours, with
tails between their legs. SUNK to theil
masters feet in a very agony of fright
An instant later there was Il rushing
sound, the horses tugged at and broke
their tethers, then sped away with loud
screams of terror that only a horse ca r
give. Huddled together the campers
waited. but it was not for long. AL
most Immediately through the din
circle of light cast by the sInouldering
campfire, an immense serpent glidet
swiftly, with its head fully ten feet il
the air, mouth wide open, and wicked
yes swapping death and destruction
Straight it made for one of the chill
dren, and it was almost in the cavern
Gus jaws when the little ones mother
| her fears overcome by maternal love
seized a brand from the campfire anc
plunged it squarely into the serpent:
mouth. The surprised snake whirlet
quickly, dashing everything aside in it:
wild course. and glided away in the
darkness.
To the gypsies until daylight was al
endless watch. 1t seemed as though