Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-12-30
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

A Snake Nearly Thirty Feet Long Kills n
Valuable Performing Pony and Badly
Injuries Man in Phiiadelphia-A Di-
ver's Encounter with Fierce Shark.
A Brazilian anaconda twenty-eight
feet long made its escape from a box
in local dime museum in Philadel-
phia one day recently, and after near
ly killing watchman wrapped its
coils around valuable pony and
crushed it to death.
The performing horse and the snake
were part of the attractions at the mu-
scum. The pony belonged to W. @.
Reber, of New York, who placed q
valuation of $40, 900 on him. The an
aconda was imported by the manage
ment and arrived from New York in
box six feet long, which was thought
to be secure. The box was placed in
the corner of curio hall. The pony
was also shipped from Now York. He
was tied to feed box in the curio
hall. Samuel Mosher is the watch
man in the hall. He was in the cellar
with the other attendants engaged in
sorting out lumber for an exhibition
platform to be constructed in the
course of the day. The manager sent
him on an errand to the curio hall. He
stayed long while, but no notice was
taken of this until wild shrieks from
the trick pony and other sounds of
commotion in the curio hall caused
the attendants in the cellar to drop
their lumber and hasten to the scene.
The spectacle that met them when
they reached the upper floor terrified
them for moment. Watchman Mos
her was stretched on the floor uncon-
scious, and not far away from him the
handsome trick pony Bucephalus was
wound in the coils of the serpent.
Blood was oozing from the pony's nos
trils and every vestige of life was
squeezed out of him.
Watchman .Mosher was dragged to q
place Of safety, and hasty examina-
tion showed that he was not dead. He
was hurried to the Hahnemann
Hospital, where the physicians found
two ribs fractured. 1t is not known
whether he has any other serious in
iuries beyond shock from fright.
At the hospital Mosher revived and
told the story of the encounter, of
which he was the only witness. He
said on reaching the curio hall he was
startled by finding about six feet of
the anaconda's length out on the floor.
A board became loose, and through
this the captive began slowly to work
his way to liberty. The watchman's $
first impulse was to try to force him
back, and he started to do this alone.
The snake attacked him fercely, and
in less time than the watchman could
tell it the great folds of the reptile
were entirely free from the box and
out on the floor. In another instant
the watchman was writhing in them
He was too terrified at first to give an
alarm, and when he did try, the coils
crushing him.
The noise which summoned the res-
cuers was made by the pony. The
actions of the pony were remarkable
display of animal intelligence. He
saw the struggling watchman in the
serpent's coils, and, with shrill neighs.
sprang to his aid, drawing the feed
box with him. With his sharp hoofs
and his teeth he tiercely attacked the
snake, which slowly unwound its folds
from the helpless watchman, and
turned on its new assailant. 1t was
not long before the pony's neighing
was stihed. The monster wound its
clasp around the brave little animals
body, and with methodical slowness
broke bone after bone in it's ribs.
The men who rushed to the scene
and saved the watchman's life were
afraid to attack the boa or to go near
it except with weapons to destroy it.
The serpent hissed at them and darted
its tongue out. 1t was evidently pre-
pared for another attack and to seize
third victim. Pat McGlinchy, one
of the attendants, who is an old plains
man, suggested to lasso the snakes
head. This plan was adopted and his
head was firmly secured. The problem
of securing the rest Of the body was
less easy to solve. but the tail was Sc
cured in some way after it uncoiled
from the pony's body, and the snake
was dragged to an iron cage with n
heavy screen and securely imprisoned.
This pony Slayer is nearly thirty feet
long.