Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1896-04-16

a rattlesnakc in her bed. She had lair
in mortal terror all the night, with the
reptile coiled near her head, afraid t.
move. In the morning the snake glided
through a chink in the logs near the
bed, from where it had come, but the
woman lost her reason and never re-
gained it. Her case, the doctor said
and that Of Kitsmiller were strangely
similar.
Occasionally Kitsmiller appeared to
have lucid moments, and during these
Hardrick would stand at the bed and
ask him:
"Tell us what yer seed in the cave,
Hanse, and mebbe it will help yer. Tell
us what yer seed. Yer know we is all
yer friends"
Once he looked about him as if try
ing to recollect, and half muttered:
IT hev ben in the h hole itself.
Their was a place full NV rattlers, an /
tried ter keep 'em off,"
This was all that could be gotten
from him, for the recollection of this
appeared to have bad effect on him,
and he had fits Of terrible madness, dur
ing which he almost broke from the
bed.
Several reasons are given for the pc
culiar effect Of the cave on persons en-
tering it. One of these is that the
madness is caused by the presence of
thousands of rattlesnakes which the
mountaineers claim at this time Of the
year enter it to spend the winter. 1t is
thought that the terror inspired by
their presence in such great numbers
drives person crazy, or perhaps it is
the smell Of the reptiles. More than
once blush sort of vapor has been
seen coming from the mouth of the
cave, and mountaineers happening to
pass up Gauley river in dugouts at such
times have been made deathly sick by
it.
A scientist from Washington, some
years ago in Webster, advanced the
theory that the cavern contained
poisonous gas, emanating from the bed
of some mineral, which was RESPONSE
bic for the effect. He had too much re-
spect, however, for the stories told him
of the place by the natives to go into
it, and so the real reason has never been
About seven years ago a party of rev.
enue officers, on the hunt for moon
shine" distilleries, came to Webster
In some manner they were led to be-
lieve that the cave was the resort OF
''pne-top chaps" and two of them
made an inspection, much to the delight
of the mountaineers, whose hatred OF
a "revenoo" is worse than that of rat
tlesnake. The two officers went inside.
and only one ever returned. He was
raving mad, and it was supposed he and
the other, in their madness. had at
lacked one another, and the one who
had disappeared had been killed.
The cave stands from the Gauley
river about $50 feet. 1t enters the al
most perpendicular mountain side.
which rises several hundred feet to the
Top, on level with the river bank. The
is somewhat choked with
stones. This is from the fact hat years
lgo mountaineers went on top of the
'idge, as close to the edge above the
ave as they dared, and pushed the
'ocks over with the hope of filing the
'ntrance, but the attempt was not sue
,essful. The mouth of the cave is hid
len by these rocks, which lie in front of
t. 1t is about ten feet in height. and
8 probably six or seven in width. A
hort distance in the cave makes u
harp turn, and it is a well-known fact
hat when anybody has once passed
his he or she has never returned i'm
ound mind.
What was Hanse Kitsmiller's expert
nee during his journey through the
from the Big Buck Beds to
he mouth of "Ole Looney cavey only HI
,ould tell, and he is not competent IT'S
ecrets, if he realized them, will not be
Iiylllged by him. and will remain safe
or the next, as they have for the past,
century or centuries. That his stay in
he cave was horrible in the extreme
annot be doubted, from the look of |
error which has never gone out OF his
yes since his return. No man who has
lot met death face to face, and death |
4 some terrible description, has ever
lad such look Of fear impressed upon
lis features. The remembrance Of |
What he witnessed must have been TOO
wful to have ever left his brain or
AIDED from his countenance.
All day long the hunter lies OH his
ough, low bed, on the uneven shack
|oor of the cabin, raving and mutter- |
ng. The awe-struck mountainears
ONE in. take look at the figure with
'nt speaking, and after having been
atisfied with seeing anyone who has
'een in "Ole Looney cave" they pass
nut silently. The only noise is that
made by the maniac father and the Sob
ling of the little chaps and the
Louis Globe Democrat.
A Sanctimonious Canine.
People of religious tendencies gen