The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1906-11-08

The ofnclal reports for a recent year
gave the number OF deaths from
snake-bite throughout India as $4,000.
No doubt In the remoter districts ma.
lives often report the deaths Of their
relatives as having been due to snake
bite In order to avoid the troublesome
inquiries which they detest; and all
evidence having been carefully de-
ttroyed, II 10 impossible TO arrive at
the truth. Occasionally, too. a report
ed death from this cause Is in reality
case Of murder. But after making
all deductions the number OF
persons killed every year by
snakes is enormous. This Is
caused partly by the fanatlcal
dislike which the ordinary native has
for killing, or even interfering with.
any Wild creature, and partly by the
common habit Of going about with feet
and legs bare. have myself seen
native soldier walk boldly into a patch
Of grass In my compound to drive out
a cobra which had been seen to glide
into It. The fact that his legs were
bare to the knee did not cause him
the slightest hesitation. Fortunately
he did not meet the snake. says writ.
or in the Pail Mall Gazette
II Is commonly reported, though
with what truth do not know, that
natives sometimes adopt particular
diabo,ical and ingenious method Of
getting rid OF an enemy, In such wise
that the death shall he correctly at.
tributed to snake-bite. A small cobra,
or a kalait--a snake quite as venom.
ous-is caught uninjured and piece
Of string Is fastened TO its tail. The
string is then run through the hollow
stem of a bamboo Just large enough
20 contain the body of the snake, and
by II the creature Is dragged. tail
first inside the cane Great care Is
taken not to lnjure the reptile in any
way
Armed with this abominable weap-
on the murderer waits for a suitable
opportunity for using 1t. Nothing is
easier than to approach the hut of his
intended victim when he Is asleep.
and creeping through the open door
way to bring the end Of the bamboo
into contact with some part OF his
body. The snake. enraged and terri
fed by the treatment which 1t has re.
oeiNed, bites as soon as its head
touches the man. II the victim Is
sleeping soundly he Is probably not
even awakened by the slight puncture
Of the sobra's needlelike fangs. He
passes insenSihly into death. The
next day big body Is discovered, with
all the unmlstakable symptoms OF
snake poisoning; and save through an
accident, II is not even suspected that
a crime has been committed. The muir
derer, having liberated the snake and
destroyed the bamboo, is perfectly
safe. Even II suspicion falls upon
him II is impossible to prove his guilt.
Snake stories, more or less incredible.
abound The following, which was told
70 me on such authority that Il am
forced TO believe II, Is a fair speci.
men: A cobra was discovered In the
compound or garden surrounding an
officer's bungalow, and the entire
male petition of the household turned
out to destroy II. The snake was driv
en- from one hiding place to another
and az last II took refuge in a narrow
culvert All sorts OF expedlents we're
tried 10 drive 1t out Shots we're fired
through the pipe and bundles of burn.
ing grass were thrust into It, without
effect Finally the culvert was dug
up and the snake was found and
killed,
II was a large and handsome one
and therefore the skin was taken on
and hung upon nail driven into the
wall OF the veranda outside the bunEn.
low. The neyt morning the owner OF
the house was astonlshed by finding
on the ground beneath It second
cobra skin.
The natives, one and all, declared
that the mate OF the dead snake had
come along during the night and shed
its skin there through grief at its loss
This explanation being considered In.
credible, it was supposed that some
one had INDUCED In a rather pointIess
practical joke though the clrcum
stances Of the case made Il difficult
TO see how this could have been DOS.
sible But whatever might be the |
true explanation, there were the two
skins