Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-02-02
"A STRANGE STORY.

"A STRANGE STORY.
PECULIAR ACTION OLA BLACksNAkE
OVER A COFFIN.
The Hair Raising Experience of Three
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Death of an Old
italian Fiddler-The Blood Stained sti-
1etto Found In the Iron Chest.
The story which I 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 andaadds that he can
furnish at least two trustworthy witnesses
who will make affidavits to his statements.
It was several years ago, according 20
my informant, near the little rural settle
ment of Boyd's Tavern, in$ Albermarle
county, a short distance from the Fluvan-
Nd line. For many years an old Italian
named Faranchini had been a familiar
figure in that section. He had no rela-
tives, but lived Il sort of hermit life in
a rude, dilapidated two story house about
half q 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 a snug sum for. his mu-
: steal talent. There was something mys-
FERROUS about the old foreigner. He was
known to have earned considerable mon
ey, but rarely, if ever, did any one see him
take a drink. A light 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 poisoned for his treasures. There
was. nc n to look after the burial ar
fangements, and SO a 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 a
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. 4
This was agreed to, and the game was
interspersed now mi then with a glass of
cider from q big Jug that sat on one side.
An old fashioned clock on the shelf
struck 10. The last stroke had scarcely
died away in the dense stiffness when one
'of the men aroused himself suddenly, drop
II -nI bsc had ~, Az %oL1ot. II. -
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 n~ervously 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! Hiss!'' cam the sound at
regular intervals from the direction of the
coffin, while from q trapdoor, it's tail coil
ed around one of the Stats, hung a long
blacksnake that swung back and forth
like Il pendulum over the entire length Of
the coffin. Its head swept within an inch
or 80 of the Italian, and 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 a sheet. An
other stared at his companions with a be-
wildered query written on his face, while
the third, horror stricken, seized the pc.
ker, and creeping s%tealthily toward tho
snake aimed q terrible blow at the intrud-
-er. But the latter was not to be outwit-
ted. Quick as a flash it lodged the weap-
On, and coiling up. disappeared through a
orevice in the trapdoor. The men gazed
at each other mystified.
A conference was held, and each of the
men simultaneously recalled a number of
strange stories that had furnished sub
half an hour this was continued until
finally they relapsed into a half asleep mo
notony and drowsily pulled their pipes.
Not q sound could be heard save the dreary
patter of the rain on the window panes.
The lamp flickered and went out, leaving
emily the dim rays of the freight. One
of the men aroused himself with a yawn,
and got up to refill the lamp. Scarcely
was this done before the men were aston
1shed to see the snake reappear from the
trapdoor. The reptile was even holder
than before. As it swept over the length
ct the coffin, its eyes glistened as if threat
ening those disturbing it. One of them
hurled a stick of wood at the hideous
hing, which avoided the blow, and just
asEbefore vanished through the trapdoor.
Several times it reappeared, and every ef-
tort WAS made to kill it, but all to no pur-
pose. It was impossible to strike the rep.
tile.
The men planned q 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 everybody in the
aeighborhood had learned of the strange
experience in old Faranchini's domicile.