A WOMAN'S REVENGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4715, 23 June 1924, Page 1

A WOMAN'S REVENGE.

PYTHON IN MAN’S BOOM. DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. It was Cougreve wno laid it down that “Heaven has no rage like love io hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” Even to-day this proves to be Quite as true as when written. A striking example, of this “fury” comes from Portugal, where a woman member of a circus company set up a novel scheme of revenge. The woman in question, Anita Almeda, was deeply enamoured of a male member of the company, and for a time her affection was returned and the pajr became engaged. Later, however, the man became less ardent, having, in fact, transferred his attentions to a younger and better-lOok-ing lady member of the company. Eventually he broke off his engagement with the first-mentioned lady and devoted all his spare time and attention to his new love, Anita watched, with apparent unconcern, the rapid growth of the friendship between Pedro —for that I was the name of the man who had ' won her love and admiration and his newly-found friend. She was, however, plotting a deep and dark revenge. Attached to the circus was a big python, which, with other snakes, was ,used in certain parts of the performance in which Anita took a prominent ipart. One night, after the show had : closed, Anita secured the big snake 'and put it in the bedroom.of the man :she loved but who had jilted her for ; a more favoured rival, ; When Pedro, all unsuspecting, eni tered his room the jjython at once attached. and for a moment or two had him a': a disadvantage. Quickly recovering his presence of mind ne .made a desperate fight for his life, at ;the same, time calling for help. He (knew that if the python got a good : grip and encircled his body all would be over. In the meantime the woman who had planned this diabolical revenge was calmly watching the struggle from behind a curtain. Whilst the fight still continued,, and when the man was almost exhausted, several of the circus attendants rushed into the room, secured the python, and thus saved the man’s life, much to the disappointment, so the newspaper report says, of the woman watcher.

| Strange to say, Pedro refused to 1 take any proceedings against Anita.