The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-23
ON The BOWERY.
The State Fair Snake That Was
Killed on Mathewson Street.

Imaginary snakes are not much OF
curiosity TO some who spend their even
ings on the Bowery in this city, but
when a real live snake, six feet In length,
happens along that way, then there is q
decided commotion and nothing short OF
a six foot snake, Will make commotion
in that part of the city.
Ii was Just before sunset when William
Harris was sitting in front OF John j.
Cooper's stable on Mathewson street,
when he saw something crawling along
on the sidewalk, and coming toward him,
and when within about ten feet OF him
he saw IL was a huge snake, and he was
certain that il was snake, for billy
is strictly temperate. Billy had just got
through taking in the bedding for his
horses and had left his pitchfork just in
side OF the door, and IL was quite lucky
for him that it was SO handy for he
grabbed the fork and jammed il over the
neck OF Mr.. Snake. About this time, Mr..
Fred Alexander came running down from
the top floor of the Columbian House on
Mathewson street. Mr.. Harris face was
the color of a sheet, but he looked mad.
He shouted for a batchet, shovel, or
anything with which he could separate
the head from the body of the snake. Tie
was handed a shovel and with one vigor-
Gus stroke he ended the life OF his snake
ship, and would have made mince meat
out of IL had he not been prevented by
officer Sherman.
After the death OF the snake officer Sher-
man held an inquest, said the snake was
dead call right" but as there were none
to claim the body he turned 1t over to
Mr.. Harris, as momento, or TO be used
Tor any purpose he deemed best.
There was, o. course, big crowd in
at the death, and almost every man knew
just the kind OF a snake IL was, but just
how 1t happened to make call on the
Bowery was something of puzzle TO all.
Officer George Waterman who, so IL is
said, has met snakes before, said that 1t
was Texas Bull snake, but upon this
occasion the crowd voted Waterman down
for he was told by a resident of the Bow
cry, who had spent portion of his life
in Texas, that a bull snake had a little
stubby tail, while this one had a long
slender one, which was perhaps the pret-
test part OF the snake captured yesterday.
Officer Sherman took the floor and said
that II there were any snakes on his beat
he would find out how they came there,
what they wanted ana how long they were
going TO stay. Right there and then the
officer and News man went over the
snake trail.
1t seems that the snake was one OF a
pair that had spent tie past week at the
State Fair as part OF the Midway and
was the pr )perty OF a man named Nelson,
who had a room on the top floor OF the
Columbian House, the room being on
the west side of the house. About
o'clock yesterday afternoon Mr. Nelson
gave his pets a bath, after which he put
them back into n small satchel and FOR
got TO put down the little catch on one
side. Mr.. Nelson feeds the snakes but
once a month, and yesterday was the day
they should have been fed. and as the
snake was hungry and finding that the
satchel had not been tightly closed,
poked his nose through the opening and
made his way out into the room, and find
ing nothing TO suit his appetite, crswled
out OF the window ana began to crawl