The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-28
BATTLE WITH SPIDERS.
Two Men Attacked by an Angry
Army of TarantuIns

Army of Tarantulns.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer
Joseph Mabry of st. Louis tells the
most remarkable tarantuta story that has
come to light for several months. Mabry
has papers to show that he was a MEM
Der of a Georgia company during the Span
ish war and that he was in Cuba. II only
one other man In the world were living,
and lived in Havana Mabry says, he
would die before going to see him.
He Is now In Denison Tex. Speaking
TO newspaper man Of that town. he
said
My home is in ST, Louis. Last winter
I left home and came South. passing
through Texas and finally going to Geor-
gia. l worked wherever l could get en-
ployment, that being my mission down
this way. ] was out of work In ST. Louis
and was discouraged there. In Georgia
| got work for awhile, but in the spring
my employment gave out. Companies
were being organized to go to the war
and | Offered myself as volunteer.
Joined a company of Georgia volunteers
and went off TO camp. We did not get to
the front. and after the protocol was sign
ed ] and friend of mine decided wa
was from Kentucky. / was a machInist
and my friend a stenographer We de-
cided that II we could get over to Havana
we would probably be able TO get on the
ground floor, We applied to a congress-
man who was a friend to my friend. ana
our discharges finally came and we went
to the coast, taking a boat for Havana.
We wore our army uniforms, not think
Ing that they would make any difference
Il
our desire to save money and not buy anr
citizen clothing got US into serious trou-
bile.
AS soon as we reached Havana we were
told that we must leave. We were labor
ing under a grave mistake, thinking that
the United States had some authority there
in the fall before the peace treaty was
signed. We were put under a guard ana
ordered to leave on the first boat as o,,r
presence In Havana might be danyero,,.
to the peace and safety of the community
All we could do was to wait our time. A
British boat touched at Havana hound For
New Orleans with load of tropical fr,it
We tried to get passage on the boat ana
were refused point blank, as the boat ala
not carry passengers, Our guards gave
us to understand, as we thought. thar
we must leave or go to jail We decided
to leave. Before the boat sailed we man
aged TO slip aboard by bribing a connie
OF sailors We were told that we conid
climb into the bins where bananas were
stored ana that the sail would be a short
one TO New Orleans. The sailor nron,lsad
to smuggle food TO us on the tournev ana
they fastened us up In the bins Of ha-
nanas, closing the hatchway. We had
not had any sleep for forty-eieht hours
ana were dead on our feet. We turned m
on pile OF straw and slept soundIv untlt
nearly morning of the following dav uhe,.
l was awakened by my friend caIiing, n,
me. "
What is that?' I heard him aal,
Inc hght was very dim, and co,,ia
barely see the outline of his form near
me. near
" I don't see anythlng.s replied.
thought you were tickling me win
a bundle of straw. said he.
I did not waken I'm Won caiiaa :.
me- was my reply "
guess II was'a rat said he. and wa
both dozed off Ao "o
shortly ! was awakened bv a sbr,o,-
from my friend He had tunnA1 ~. ~.
was staring at a black, fuzzy obtect u ~ az
straw. | recognized II at once as a ,aran-
tula. The light was not good hnt ~.
moch was plain Soon II was. Joined bv an
other and another, and In assfegssbn,srs I,
looked like we were surrounded viii tara,
tulas. The big spiders regarded ne as ~,
posters, for they seemed bent on attacki,s
us. We stamped them. killing many ana
fought them with all our might
''DIo you ever see an angry tarantuIa2 r.
you never did, don't go looking for one ana
II you ind one, don't look for a hundred
suppose IL Is no exaggeration to say ma
we were raced by hundred Of these angry
insects. They spring like rats or frogs. ana
all OF sudden black object would come
whirling through the air and in nine cases
out of ten 4 would strike some unguardesI
spot-and inject Its venom. 1 was bitten HI
half a dozen places on the face. ana as
many more on the hands and arms ara
The insects would crawl up tbs legs AZ an.
pantaloons and bite us. Both of US were
horribly bitten all over our persons The
fight with the insects lasted an dav long
and though we were both strong aounH
men when We went on the boat. bv even
ing we we're almost too exhausted TO stand
up We called for help. shrieked YELLED
and cried, and no help came we were
faint from want of food and dying from
thirst. II was a day of horror for ho1b
of US Our wounds were swelling and or
throats we're parchlng for water After
continuing to fight the tarantulas ana
shrleking for help we finally attracted ~
teution and some OF the sailors came 10
.our rescue. Whether Il was the sailors We
bribed who came 10 Us or whether IL was
some one attracted by our crles.sH don,t
know. was then IN delirium and nv ewes
were swollen closed"
-s-s-~---
Lord Wolseley Is a man Of letters AZ
,,fsu "a "a aoldlar and has .f.str. t,ttaa .