The sun., 1896-08-30
A BIG SNAKE FROM JAVA.
MS FIRST MEAL ~ AMERICA WAS
TEARING CALF.

Before TIE Ate II Tie Broke Away from
Eleven Men who Were TrytuE 20 Box
Him Up-His Owner says Hes Forty
Feet Long aad Weighs sos Pounds.
An excited man with q patch OF plaster on
one cheek rushed into TIE Sun Office yesterday
and asked TO sse the snake editor.
They are having the greatest kind OF n time
down at Donald Burnss animal place in South
street." tho man declared, trying to get big
snake into n box. Ii is the biggest snake ever
brought to this country. and when they tried to
handle him he got away from Burns and his
men and came near killing lot of them"
A reporter was sent at once To sec how much
of this story was trne. Down at Burns's place.
in South street, just north OF whore the Brook
Ign bridge crosses that street, there was large
gathering of people. The small Office part of
the animal store, which IL separated from the
rest by high and strong iron network parti-
tion, was full of men whose interest seemed to
be concentrated upon q long and strong new
box which was In tho inner room, close to the
partition.
Hes In there!" exclaimed one of the men as
the reporter entered. The snake that had caused
the excitement was evidently safely Gagged by
tha: time. but he was still matter of local inter
est. Donald Burns was inside the partition with q
number of his lusty assistants. and he was CIV
Ing directions for making a hole In ono end of
the box and connecting stove with 1t to keep
the big snake warm.
IL hear you have been having trouble with .
snake" said the reporter.
Hush" whispered Burns. II have becn
keeping the thing Quiet. How did you hear Of
it2 You know | didn't want II TO get out that
any animal, wild or tame, ever got the better Of
me. have been handling animals and snakes
ever since was hoy-elephants, lions. tigers,
wildcats, ooas. rattlesnakes. copperheads- and
nothing ever got the best OF me before. 1t was
awful. tell you. Look at this"
Mr.. Burns threw back the hasp which held
shut the lid of q smaller box which stood beside
the big new one and opened the cover. Then he
loosened and raised an inside lid Of glass which
covered the contents OF the box, and, making q
quick move. caught q big snake by the neck,
just back OF the head.
Catch hold OF him, boys" he cried to his
| assistants, and three Of them grasped different
! portions of the snake az Burns drew 1t forth.
! They stretched It out until Its head and tail
! were probably ten feet apart: but the snake did
| not seem to like the operation. and kept n good
! part OF its length concealed by pulling itself up
| in ringletted kinks. Put him back" yelled
| Burns.
Tho snake was perhap. six inches In diameter
at the thickest part OF Its body
| Hes a pretty good-siLed chan. isn't he p
I
| but he's not marker to the other one. You see
| / could handle him"
| Then Burns went over to the biz box and
| opened Il cautiously. This box also had in.
| side set OF lids filled IN with heavy plate glass.
| There" exclaimed Burns. "is a snake thai
| is q snake. He Is between thirty and forty fee,
| in length, weighs 500 pounds. and measures two
| feet around the biggest part of his body. Talk
about handling him. He's the only brute tha
ever got away from Donald Burns. Look a,
| him now !"
Burns had opened the glass cover. The Hrea,
python lay coiled at one end OF the box with hi;
head resting com rortaby upon the upper coil o
his body. He made altogether pile about "a bis
around and as b gh AS one o.! the coils OF LA" sri
riHged -hin The snakes tile yellow bead TX,
eyes were alert. but he seemed not a, all anxious
to move. Burns advanced hand carefully
toward the snakes head and suddenly darted II
forward and closed his powerful fingers about
The neck is slender compared to tho rest OF
| the body. but still II make big handful. The
momeht the nEse bs closed ihe ans snnHs ssSsn 4;
| that even powerful man like Burns could n i
hd hold it. Bnrns sndd.a.y released his hold
| twice and then returned to It's former position
- He ha, been fed since, We mad the tn-sle with
much With him fed MIN yesrIinG calf and
he swallowed 1t whole after crushing every bone
in it, body. He |. a rock python from SOUTHERN
! came here In the trap. am srrry that let tht
IiaI ats carry OF that trap and break II up. II
was a curiosity In itself. II WAS made Of teak
! wopd and BAN boo. Al ono side
hole and this had pieces OF pointed BAN
bvo running in from IL ike the wires In oui
rat traps. The natives in Java put a goa, ntc
the box for bait, aud the snake went In through
the hole after the goat. Wien he got IN h'
couldn't get out He WAS never taken out o
the trap until took him out. He was sent q
Singapore. where my agent bought i'm. ard h'
was sent tn ne on the ship brn-Ben- some
! thing Or other. She got in on ThursdAy Mt th'
foot OF Market street They brought the traI
down here on truck. and got ten long 'hore
men to beip get 1t into the shop and take ih'
snake out. We took the trap into the IRON
IL beside the new box. where the snake Is now.
opened the trap and caught the big fellow
by the neck. Every body catch hold called
Every one OF the ten 'loug-hOr-men got a holc
and We pulled The big fellow out OF the boS
We'n just got him straightenrd out when he he
gan to rear. | weigh more than 200 pounds. hu
do you know that he lifted me up as II | were
child. He lifted mo up about two feet ant
thrashed the floor with me. All the men lehin,
were being thrown around the room ~ II the!
were Infants every time the snake twisted. hei
tho brute drew himself up and saw nc Wa
getting ready to wind himself about some OF rs
Save yourselves. boys" cried, aud iu ttheI
the snake gave n great in and broke loose.
let CO. and the snake made straight for the bucl
room tried to get hold NJ him again. but IL
faced us and twisted MS tail into the bars ot III
little sle ephAnt's cage and | didn't dare TO q
near him. The way got him into the DO
was TO tangle him up in a net and then worl
.NI.