The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-02
She Killed Two
AlIigdtOTS tOReS-
cue Mother

| ~ AvANNAH WALSTo11,a pretty Texaa
~ girl Is the heroine Of the little town
OF Tunis. on the Bayou Sarah, arm
~ OF the BRACES. She made herself
famous q few days ago by killing two
monster aliigators that had entered her
mothers cottage during the night
Few men would have been capable OK per-
forming the feat that this brave girl accom-
plished- The house occupied BY Mrs. wal
ston stands within twenty feet OF large ir-
rfga4ing ditch, across which there Is small
foot bridge. The yard gate opens az THIS
little bridge. and a wire fence extends some
twenty feet either way along the bank OK
the ditch and then turns at a sharp right
angle and joins the corners Of the house
but one gate.
It is supposed that the two monster alli-
gotors were prowling along the rrigatln9
ditch IN search Of food when they encoun-
tered the foot bridge, and in crossing over 10
they may have pushed the little gate open
Miss Savannah Walston was sleeping on a
cot on the little porch IN front OF the open
docs OF her mothers room. and a little negro
boy . years of age was lying under a china
tree In the yard. Mrs Walston, who was
sick at the time. occupied bed in the parlo1
Of the cottage, and her little baby was lying
In cradle within easy reach Of her hand
She says that she heard the aIligators fo2
some moments before she called her daugh-
ter The moon was shining almost as brighe
as day, and when Miss Savannah was
aroused BY her mother she raised mp On aer
cot and put one OF her hands on the head
Of one Of the monsters AZ that Instant g
! little dog that had ran out q Hrs. Wals
ston's room was snapped between the jaws
Of another alligator AZ tho young girls
side.
IN her fright she sprang- over one OF the
monsters in order to reach her mothers
bed. Both OF the alligators pursued her
across the floor and oDe OF them turned the
cradle over. The little baby fell out on the
carpet Miss EaTaunah had reached the bed
/ In safety, but when she heard the cries OF
sister
carpet and rescued the child almost from
the jaws Of one Of the saurians.
Mother and daughter were now STANDING
up the bed. but they we're not sure that
they occupied a position beyond the reach
/ of their hungry aesailants. The noise aWoke
the little negro, and the women saw him
running towards them They shouted TO
4 him, warning him OF the danger and tell
/ ing him to run outside Of the yard. Evil
IDENTIFY he did not know what was the trou-
BILE, for he ran towards the bed, stumbling
over one Of the alligators and falling with
his head right into the mouth Of the other
The women were helpless TO defend tbs
unfortunate little African. The monster
crushed the little negroas head between It's
! Jaws, and the women could plainly see the
child's blood stref ming over the carpet
While the women were hesitating in their
fright a curious thing happened. On the
previous day Mrs Walston had ordered
I large mirror which she had set on the door
| against one of the walls OF the parior. The
male alligator caught the reelection OF his
own image IN this glass and with furious
( below he plunged at It and shivered th0
costly mirror to fragments This seemed to
enraRa the creature and he began to below
and about over the house, ovarturnlnG
every thing that came In his way Miss Sa-
vannah says that she threw pitchers. wash
bowls, glass tumbiers and boxes OF matches
into the monsters open mouth and be
would crush and swallow such things e. =
they were delicacies that tick.ed bis palate.
While the smaller Of the two creatures
was overturning the stove and destroying
the kitchen furniture the other remained In
the par1or terrorizing the two women. he
would doubtless finally have succeeded In
overturning the bed If Miss Savannah had
not adopted plan OF battle which put an
end to the existence OF the two terrors her
! brothers gun was hanging against the wall
l on the opposite side Of the room She de-
| termined to take advantage OF the hrse
] opportunity and get hold Of the weapon
| Her mother tried to dissuade her from such
u desperate venture. but the moment that
! the big saur1an left the room she spran4
out on the carpet and ran after the gun
Miss Savannah says that she had nevee
shot a gun before In her life, bat she had
| often seen her brother handle q rife ana
she had some knowledge Of the way the
| liner was worked in order to load and eject
| the shells from the barrel Her heart
| bounded for JOY when she found the maga-
| zine Of the gun full Of cartridges Aiming
| well at one eye OF the big bull she fred and
| had the satisfaction of seeing him cAyors
| about over the carpet as II he had some~
| thing hot inside OF his head She pumped
| few more shots into his body behind hla
forelegs and it was not long before he rolled
! over nfeless- The female came crawling
| into the room.
Savannah sent a hot bullet into its BODY
l The furious animal turned and ran straight
( towards the bed with wide open jaws and
| furious with rage and pain, she got her
forefeet on the bed, and the women were
now worse frightened than before. The hor-
| rible Jaws of the maddened creature Werd
/ close to their Lodies Savannah pushed tho
barrel OF the gun into the alligator's mouth
| and fred. It was a fortunate shot The big
ball tore through the full length Of the
creatures backbone and 1t fell, Qulvarina
and lifeless. on the carpet