Year: 1867

S Oct. 8.


Never in our experience as journalists
has it been our duty to chronicle an occur
renee more -horrid in its details than the
one we are about to relate.


The sad affair that left a widowed
mother childless, and for the time almost
bereft of reason, happening about the 10th
ult., in the adjoining county Of Alien,
short Distance from the Warren County
line, and in the vicinity Of Art honys
Mill. The heart rending details as related
to US by persons of questionable veracity,
are about these Some months since Mrs.
Blankenship, a lady OF responsibility, io>t
her husband from disease, and was left with
three children, two interesting boys and
little infant gnl, just large enough to walk
alone and beguile the lonely hours of the
mother with its innocent prattle. On the
10th ult, the mother, Mrs. Blankenship,
foc the purpose of washing clothes, repair
ed to the spring branch near the house in
the locality referred to, taking her three
children with her, the house dog following
behiud She had been engaged in washing
but a seort time when the dog was heard
barking necessarily on the hill near by
Thinking that possibly the dog had freed
raccoon or had rabnl at bay, the two
little fellows starred oil in high glce Alas.
better they had never been born. GA
reaching the spot where the dog Was bark
ing they saw short distance from the dog
large object coilsd at the foot of i
stump in hostile attitude, keeping the
dog at bay Eager only to capture the sup
posed game, and not thinking of danger,
not knowing the nature of the prey, they
approached the hdeous monster that in
fa ft oil IL.
worms of Nile" The Oldest of the two
boys approached first, with his little hands
outstretched and his face all aglow at the
prospect of his prize, he said I'll get
him, brother" One step more aud he
rushed to a death more terrible and speedy
! than were the tortures of fabled Laccoon.
With one dart OF his forked tongue, with
one death rattle Of his tail, the huge rattle
snake-for it was nothing lass-drew back
his Scaly folds AMI with one dart forward
planted his envenomed faugs In the flesh Oh
the boy, and left the deadly poison cours-
ing hot thu ough his young vers. Again and
again was the boy bitten by the fatal rep
tile till he fell exhausted IN the coils of tie
monster.


;, The other lislls faIinfR r3shed EnrTar1 to
received the deadly fangs Of the serpentir
| several pl-ces. The screams of the boys
alarmed the mother, who was still washing
at the branch, and leaving her baby girl
she ran frantically to the spot. What
| sight there met her gaze Putrld with poi-
son, swollen and black, and bitten in many
places, one Of her boys was already dead,
and tie other dying from the same cause
| The snake had crawled away, aud the living
boy lived just long enough to tell the cir
cumstances of their death. Overwhelmed
With an intensity of agony which mothers
alone can feel, she remained at the fatal
| spot short time, when she bethousht her
OF her little girl at the branch and hurried
back


On reaching the spot. horrible as-it NAV
seem, she found that the little girl hal


walked to the wash tub; into which she ha


fallen head foremost and was drowned,


land it, too, was gone" The mother =
cup of misery Was full not another drop
could be added. Bereft of children, and


almost of reason, she sank under the ac-


cumulated horrors of the hour. Assis. =
ance was procured for the heart crushed


woman, and the remains Of her nestlings


were taking charge of and cared for. A


short time after, large rattlesnake, with


thirteen rattles, was killed near tie spot


where the boys were bitten.


The event created profound sensation


in the community, and has scarcely par


allel even in the exciting annals Of our early


and hardy pioneers.