Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-04
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

a snake Nearly thirty Feet Long kills u
Valuable Performing Pony and Badly
Injuries Man In Philadelphia-A Di-
Ner's Encounter With IA Fierce Shark.
A Brazilian anaconda twenty.eight
feet long made it's escape from q box
in local dime museum in Philadel-
phia one day recently, and after near
ly killing n watchman wrapped it's
coils around a valuable pony and
crushed il to death.
The performing horse and the snake
were part of the attractions ut the mu-
scum. The pony belonged to w. G.
Reber, of New York, who placed q
valuation of $40, 900 on him. The an
aconda was imported by the manage
S2 ss fesf sHfrSss 5Aa Va% ScS New wal York in
to be secure. The box was pla,ed in
the corner of curio hall. The pony
was also shipped from New 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 q moment. Waterman Mos
her was stretched on the floor uncon-
scious, and not far away from him the
handsome trick pony Bucephalns was
wound in the coils of the serpent.
Blood was oozing from the ponys nos
trils and every vestige of life was
squeezed ont of him.
Watchman Mosher was dragged to
place of safety, and n 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
juries 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 ont on the floor.
A board became loose, and through
this the captive began slowly to work
his way to liberty. The watchmans
firct leo f,, tnxy {<, 1,s,,,
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.
Ha WOO +oo +or-:e o.. a..
alarm, and when he did try, the coils
of the monster were about his chest,
crushing him.
The noise which summoned the res
cners 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 fercely attacked the
snake, which slowly unwound its folds
from the helpless watchman, and
turned ON it's new assailant. 1t was
not long before the pony's neighing
was stiAed. The monster wound it's
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 Kissed at them and darted
its tongue out. 1t was evidently pre-
pared for another attack and to seize
a 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 20 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.