KILLED BY A SERPENT.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 63, 14 December 1878, Page 2

KILLED BY A SERPENT.

s > A terrible calamity befell Dr. Paul--1 haurae and his lovely and WMomplished ' dau"hter Eleanor, on Tuesday evening, ■ i» frilliamsbueg, Pa. It seems that a I couple of weeks ago two tramps captured - a pair of enormous reptiles, which the ' Doctor pronounced to be of that deadly 5 species known as " blowing viper. The 8 Doctor, having a desire to contribute "• something that would commend Itself >' from this district, purchased the reptiles, - intending to forward them to the Zoological Gardens in Philadelphia. Biding s their transportation the snakes were - placed in a large glass jar, the top being - carefully scoured by a covering of wire r gauze. The jar was then placed on an ■. elevated bracket in a remote corner of the .j doctor's office. Last evening the Doctor - and his daughter were returning from a I. visit to the country, and the Doctor havy ing occasion to make up u prescription, - they both entered his office, the Doctor f lighting a lamp. And now comes the r terrible denouement. A large owl swept c in through the transom above the door, t and Hew with the speed of an arrow - against the lamp, knocking it over and is scattering the oil and broken glass, in s every direction. The bird seemed franif tic, Hying and dashing in every direction, it while" a general crash of glasses ami i- bottles was heard on overy side. Meanis time the Doctor had lit another match, i- but just in time to receive his daughter, if who' sprang with a wild cry to his arms ; ;- in the darkness ho gathered his darling to 0 his anus, and ill a moment realized the c situation. The owl bad dislodged the jar . from the bracket, and the vipers were at iu large. Speedily he gropod his way, eall- ■- ing loudly for help, which, the hour being i, late, was slow to put in an appearance. :- They seemed slow, but scarcely live u minutes elapse until full a dozen ladies e and brave men were on the spot.. No ,", living hand can indite the horrors of the .- next few minutes. Mi-s Eleanor, who y had been insensible since she sprang to y her father's arms was now being eared n for by the ladies, when one simultaneous y shriek almost froze the blood and ii paralyzsd each nerve-yet not all ! It II was Thomas Lutz's haud that seized tho s, glittering reptile by the neck and choked i- its fearful fangs apart. It had bitten the y lady widway between the ankle and the i- knee. She was new carried immediately Ii to her home, where every known antidote' :■ for poison was administered by her frane tic father, but all to no avail. She died d at half-past li o'clock this morning, c After taking the poor unfortunate young n lady home, one of the men, knowing i- there had been two snakes, returned toil the of lice and soon despatched the other. .s An examination shewed its two large e fangs missing. This led to the eonjecturo - that possibly the Doctor had been bitten. A hast} - return and close examination resulted in finding the fangs in the thick leathers of the Doctor's boots, who, being so alarmed for his daughter, had not the :_ slightest knowledge of being struck. The ', corpse of the young lady was swollen to x enormous dimensions, while her complex,- ~ ion is in harmony with the .-pots and gene1S ral coloring of the snake. The larger of the snakes measured four feet. They are ~ pronounced by our old people the largest i of the species. It was the shorter one of '. the two that bit the young lady.—Al- ,, tooira, IV, Tribune, September 12th.