The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-09
QUICKER THAN A PISTOL SHOT.
A western Mans Experience with
the Lightning Centipede.

From the New YORK Recorder
"Rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas
gila monsters-they are all good things
to keep away FROM" said mining engi-
neer, recently returned from the west,
but for all round hatefulness they sim
ply aren't in 1t with a centipede. No
they are not necessarily fatal. No pois-
onous insects are, Notwithstanding the
stories one hears to the contrary. But
they are bad enough. Did you ever see
one? They are not pretty, and they don't
look in the least like these thousand
legged worms which we call centipedes
here. The genuine thing may be any
where from one to six Inches long. 1
killed two, each eight inches in length,
but that is not common. Their bodies
consist Of q lot of JOINTS something like
a string of flattened beads. Each joint
has two legs connected with it, and in
the ends of these lies the poison. There
are nineteen joints, so, that, although
he hasn't hundred feet, as his name
implies he is still very well provided
with them. Thirty-eight legs, and every
leg a stingl He can't attack you from
the ground, of course. He doesn't have
to, for it is at night when there is the
greatest danger from these pests,
He is OF an investigating turn of mind,
and is fond of exploring when one lies
asleep. Scorpions or any Of the other
creatures sting only when they wish to.
and only wish to in self defense, but with
a centipede it is different
HE may simply walk over one, with
each step, making something over three
dozen footprints, and each of these viii
leave a running sore around which the
flesh will finally slough off, a horrible
scar being the result If the creature Is
angered or startled-and it takes very lit
tie to annoy him-eVery claw is instantly
driven deep into the flesh, and the result
is ten times worse.
80 far as speed of travelling goes the
centipede would be lost in the turn by
many smaller insects; but In this clinch-
ing speciality of his I think he must be
the quickest creature that lives.
There was remarkable case IN point
which took place during this last trip OF
mine" continued the engineer.
I'VE were camped somewhere near the
southern end of the line dividing New
Mexico from Arizona. 1t was just dawn
when something woke me. My instrument
man and a rCdman lay on the opposite
side of the little open tent The rodman
was also awake, and was gazing silently,
with an expression of horror on his face
at the bare chest of his companion. Then
from under the arm of the sleeping man
appeared the linked body of a big cent?
pede fully six inches long.
1T went forward a little way and
stopped; then crawled leisurely on again
There was nothing to do that 1 could
think Of sudden movement. a sound
or even a shadow. would at once cause the
brute to fasten himself.
THE warmth of the body seemed to
please him, and he stopped again. Luck
lily the transitman never stirred. The in
action was CHASTITY, and l saw the rod
mans hand gradually-very gradually
move toward the saddle which served him
as a pillow, disappearing under it, Then
1t slowly emerged, grasping a heavy PTS
toll, cooked. Always with the same de-
liberation, the muzzle was brought to with
in a few inches of the centipede; the bar
rel carefully pointed so that it would Just
miss the mans breast, and the trigger
pulled. The sleeper awoSe with a scream,
starting up and trying to clutch at the
place, but before he could do so, we had
piniohed his hands and forced him back
The centipede, naturally, was blown to
dust, but between the time that bullet
left the pistol, two inches away, and
reached the end of his six-inch body the
creature had found time to bury seven of
his thirty-eight legs
we never thought the injured man
would survive, but after weeks of delrium
he began slowly to recover. When the OBJ
stinate wound had healed the scar was as
though a red hot ladle had been laid across
the mans body; the path of the centipede
forming the handle, and the bowl, place
as large as ones hand, made by the dying
clinch. I'll take my scorpions straight If
have choice. No centipedes in mine"