The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-24
THE DEADLY CHA MONSTER
Tragic Experiences With the Terrible
Animal in Arizona.

How Young Man Who Went Into an
Abandoned Mine to Escape the Law
Met His Death-Horrible Revenge
Taken by a Mexican on a Young
Man of Whom He Was Jealous-A
Fight to the Death in a Court Yard.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Santa Fe, n. NJ, June 1O.-More deadly
than the rattlesnake, more dreaded than
the mountain lion, the gila monster has
at least this merit-he never seeks man
out, and is quite content to keep within
his own lair, but when this is intruded on
none knows better than he how to resent
invasion, and in manner that usually
leaves no tongue to repeat the story. The
very appearance of this strange creature
inspires horror which the most venom
Gus serpent is incapable Of arousing. and
to stand and gaze into the lidIess, unblink-
ing eyes, e7en when iron bars interpose,
is to experience an uncomfortable sensa-
ton Along the region of ones back
bone, and sets one wondering fit
was not just such a creature that origi-
mated with the ancients the belief in an
animal whose very gaze was death The
Mexicans and Indians of Arizona will tell
you that the monster kills by its breath
everything approaching near enough to
inhale the sickening ef1uvium, this belief
arising from the horror with which they
regard it. and from the fact that it is
usually found only at the bottom of some
old mine shaft or mountain cavern, where
the heavy, mephitic al: serves to over
come the luckless being who ventures in,
and who falls the reader victim to the
monsters bite.
1t is popular fallacy thatthis creature
is of the lizard family an overgrown
chameleon, but its small. snake-like head,
its Shiny body of hideous brownish gray
with smooth white belly suggests rather
the serpent, but the tail is short and
stumpy
My first introduction to the gila mon
ster was a tragic one. I was spending
some months in Phoenix, Ariz., and had
in my employ young Mexican named
Leauder, who served me as body-servant,
groom and cook in the modest menage !
had set up, preferring 10 dictate my own
table fare to eating the peppery messes
which are the sole diet of the Mexican
population, and which are gradually
adopted by Americans dwelling any
length of time i'll this climate To such
an extreme is this love of red-hot pepper
carried by the foreign element that it is
SAID with truth that even the carrion
eaters of the region will not touch a dead
Mexican.
This boy Leander was a timid, affec-
tionate lad, whose only vice seemed to be
that of gambling. AT this he spent all mis-
spare time and his entire wages, often
playing all night, though performing his
duties next day as usual. reasoned with
him in vain, and he would promise me
again and again that he would cease the
uneasy life his propensities caused him to
lead, but he had always an evil angel at
his side in the shape of a big. pock-
marked half-breed named Francesca.
This man, taking advantage of the boys
weakness, was always at hand to tempt
him to the small gam bling hell fire.
quented by men of his class, and though
forbade him hanging about my premi-
ses, he would waylay Leander and work
on his love of sport until the boy would
fall again.