The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-14
&
"A FLYING SNAKE
IN KING GEORGE [ J |:
fKilled at Berry Plain After
Being Seen by
/ Many.
], FED ON BIRDS in TREES
! The Case Of a Colored Girl Thief
That Attracts Much
Attention.
FED ON BIRDS IDS IN TREES Rec:

& Especial to the Times DisIatch.)
CONFORM, VA, May ia most re-
,,arSable and uncommon flying snake"
that was captured and killed at berry
Plain. the home of Mr.. Jno, S. Dickin-
son, in this county, a few DAYS ago. mas
attracted wide attention and excited no
little interest. The curious reptile was
first noticed flying about in tho nir with
; several feet Of It's horrid snakeship
J dangling around. presenting the appear
! nnce. may be, of an ordinary snake at
! tached to strengthening bird.
AS far as Is known, 1t never once de-
scended to the earth and crawled OH the
/ ground after tho manner OF snakes, but
| 1t would occasionally alght In trees and
| catch such birds as best suited Its ap-
! petite and fancy.
1t was finally killed and measured and
4 proved to be five feet long, and about
! one inch In diameter of body. It had
/. perfect wings Of good size, }nnd these
/ were covered with feathers. Berry
i Plain" where the curious thing made its
!, uncerelnonious advent and met It's UNI
ftimely end. is ono Of the finest plantati tons
! and homesteads In King George; and bo-
| ing situated on tho banks of the Kappa
! hammock, 1t is conjecturcd by some that
Il the flying snake may have come from
AN impenetrable marsh of the river or
! some neighboring creek
But this theory is not accepted by
many, for as far as can be learned, moth
/ ing bearing the slightest similarity to
\ this serpent or reptile or whatever It is,
was ever before seen or heard Of any
where In this section Of the country.
Such q thing was hardly ever dreamed
of by certain professor of airshlp
fame.
THE LAWS DEMAND.
On Thursday Of last week. Mrs. James
I II Boggs.sofssthis aplace, had a colored
( girl arrested for stealing q gold watch
and a diamond ring. and when the case
was taken before O. magistrate for trial,
Mrs. Boggs plead for dismissal, finally
securing the alleged thief's release from
custody without trial. Several days later
1t developed that the girl had stolen va
rious other articles from tho Boggs home;
and Commemorative Attorney w. A..
Rose, taking the ground that the girl was
I guilty OF grand larceny. declared that she
could not properly be released without
trial and ordered rc-arrest. When the
officer went to make the second arrest,
1t was learned that the accused had gone
to Caroline county. 1t was stated yes
terday that she would be pursued and
brought back to King George for trial.
It is said that tho girl made a comics.
sion and surrendered the stolen goods to
Mrs. Boggs on condition and under
i promise by Mrs. Boggs, that she should
& not be punished. It is understood, in
other words, that the thief was told That
If she did not forthwith return the watch
& and diamond ring, she would be tried
and sent to the pententiary: that If she
!. did Immediately return them, she should
go unpublished. The case Is now attracts
ing a great deal of attention.
INDIGNATION.
The people Of King George are almost
indignant over the action Of the State
Board Of Education in combining this
county with Stafford, and making one
school division Of tho two counties. it
is argued, and is q fact, that the geogra-
ply OF the two counties and the immense
territory render 1t a physical mpossfbility
for any ono man to properly and sue
cessfully superlptend tho school work
in the ne~F division.
Prominent Citizens have proposed a
movement for the purpose of asking the
State Board to recind their action, so
FAR as combining tho two counties is con-
ii cerned. and to allow King George to re-
main as before. The appointment of Mr.
James Ashley. of Stafford, as superin-
1cndent OF sstools ftr this division gives
very general Satisfaction No better ap-
pointment could have been made, and the
liking George people arc dissatisfied with
but one thing done by the State Board
of Education, and that Is the consolda-
ton Of tho two counties into a division
! that cannot possibly be successfully
handled by any one man.
fgt PERSONAL.
Mr.. Geo. Green. prominent gentle
man OF Washington has been a guest
at Marnion. the home Of his sister, Mrs,
Fielding Lewis. near here. for some ten
days past
Mr.. and Mrs. 7. j. largest, who have
ISecn spending some time in Baltimore,
have returned to Bleak Hill, their home
here.
Mr.. George Mason, young attorney at
Colonial Beach has announced his candl-
dacy for the House Of Delegates Tor the
district composed Of Westmoreland and
Northumberland counties subject TO the
action of the Democratic primary.
Rev. Mr.. Wiltshire. of Orange county,