Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1894 — SOMEWHAT STRANGE. [ARTICLE]

SOMEWHAT STRANGE.

ACCIDENTSAND INCIDENTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE. Queer Facts end Thrilling Adventures Which Show that Truth is Stranger Than Fiction R. G. Beveridge, a well-known local amateur photographer, of Oil City, Penn., has secured a snap-shot picture of a rattlesnake biting a man, and, so far as known, the picture is the only one of the kind in existence. It is hardly necessary to state that it was obtained by accident. Dr. C. J. Reynolds, formerly of Oil City, has been a few days in the woods in that vicinity assisting Rattlesnake Pete Gruber catch snakes for the latter’s museum, and to illustrate the process to his friends in Pittsburgh, he determined to take a series of photographs. The box of twenty-two snakes already captured, together with the photograph outfit, was taken to a ledge of rocks near Siverlyville by Dr. Reynolds, Pete and Beveridge. The snakes were then photographed in different postures, and as a climax it was decided to illustrate how the biggest snake of the lot was captured. It was placed on top of a huge mass of rock, and the doctor posed as if he had just caught sight of the reptile, and was motioning to Pete, who was climbing up the face of the rock. In his anxiety to get a good pose, Dr. Reynolds failed to notice that while he was getting into position the snake had worked his way to the edge of the rock. When Pete put his hand over the edge of the rock to steady himself, the snake, over five feet long, struck savagely at the moving finger. Its teeth grazed the ball of the thumb, cut the skin, but did not draw blood, and a quantity of venom spread itself over the thumb, but was washed off with the contents of a bottle of ammonia and did not do any damage. The photographer was so startled by the snake striking that he convulsively squeezed the bulb connecting the shutter of his camera, and secured what is probably the most unique photograph in the State.

On a recent morning when Ray McCollum, living three miles from Farmer’s Valley, Penn., went out to feed hi§ jovj he (qund her lying .in a pool of blood in the Darn yard. There were gashes in her flesh, on her lower left side, her legs were stripped of their flesh in many places, and her horns were covered with blood. She was still alive, but was shot to end her misery. As there was not a foot of ground in the barnyard that was not torn, and as the soil was drenched with blood, and the barn and fence were spotted with it, it was plain that a desperate conflict had occurred during the night between the cow and some fierce animal. There was a break in the barnyard fence, showing where the trespassing animal had entered. David Marcy, neighbor of McCollum’s, on going to feed his stock the same morning, discovered that a large and vicious Berkshire boar of his had broken from his enclosure. Marcy started to search for his missing boar, and heard of the plight in which McCollum had found his cow and barnyard. He was sure that the bloody duel that had taken place there the night before was between his boar and the cow, and this was made certain when he found the boar half buried in the soft mud on the edge of a swamp a quarter of a mile from McCollum’s. The mud was red with blood for several feet around the boar. This had flowed from eleven holes in the animal’s side where the cow had gored him. One of the boar’s eyes was out, one of his tusks broken off, and his flesh was frightfully ripped. He was nearly dead and was shot. ,

Harry Moore, who for years was an engineer in Mexico, states that there are queer laws down there. He gives the following as a fact: “I was walking along one of the thoroughfares of the City of Mexico,” remarked Mr. Moore, “when a man came along and tickled one of the hind legs' of a mule. The animal pricked up his ears and both hind legs shot out, the hoof of one of the legs landing squarely in the face of his tormentor. The man was picked up and carried unconscious into a house near by. The poor fellow breathed his last half an hour later. A policeman came riding up at full speed, asked the cause of the excitement, and on being informed,arrested the mule and took the animal off to jail. A trial was had and the judge, without jury, sentenced the mule to the penitentiary for life, assessing a fine of eighteen cents a day against the owner to keep the mule in feed.” Mr. Moore further stated that the Wells Fargo Express Company has a dog at their office in the City of Mexico which has been in jail several times for bit ing and snapping at Mexican pedestrians. Some twenty years ago a Klamath River Indian, had a difficulty with three other Indians, during which he was killed, and at the same time killed one of the other Indians. Several years later one of the surviving Indians died. The Indian killed by the other three in the trouble above referred to had a boy about one year old at the time. The boy being now twenty-one years old, and knowing from his mother the circumstance of his father’s death, watched a good opportunity to kill the only surviving murderer of his father. He pretended at all times to be very friendly with the surviving Indian of the difficulty, but a few days ago, while smiling pleasantly before his victim, suddenly pulled a sharp knife from beneath his coat and slashed him across the body, from the effects of which wound the murderer of his father died in a very short time, and the young assassin skipped to parts unknown. The honorary freedom confers a kissing privilege upon its possessor in the ancient borough of Rye, in Sussex, one of thv Cinque ports. By one of the early charters, which had long been overlooked, but which was brought to light again the other day by a searcher among its ancient records, the possessor of the honorary freedom of this small but distinguished borough secures the right and privllege-of kissing the Mayoress. At Hungerford, in connection

with the festivHies of Hocktide, there are two officials known as “tuth men,” who have the privilege of taking a kiss from each member of the fair sex. They are appointed annually by the chief constable, who is head man of all the commoners. The Emperor of China is not content with the respect shown him by his subjects, and recently issued the following peculiar order: “After bringing our sacrifices to the highest being, we heard upon our return to the palace, near the gate leading to the Imperial quarters, a rather loud noise caused by talking. This shows that the people have not the proper regard for the majesty of the ruler, and also that the officers of the bodyguard have failed to do their duty properly. The officers who were on post at the particular gate must be punished, therefore, by the Ministry of War. . In the future, however, all officers, however, high or low, must see that a noise so improper shall not occur in our presence.” George Fox, of Angels Camp, Calaveras County, Cal., has a two-year-old colt which is to a certain extent a natural curiosity. For some months past the colt has had a tender spot near its right ear, and recently it resulted in an open wound. After trying in vain to heal it its owner decided to take the animal to a doctor of Stockton to have the wound treated. The doctor after a careful examination made an incision with his scalpel, and, taking a pair of strong forceps in his hand, he drew from the place a well-formed molar tooth, in form, shape and color exactly like those in the colt’s mouth. The colt improved at once and the wound is healing. In one of the big down town buildings in New York there is a restaurant whose walls are composed entirely of mirrors. The effect is startling to the person who looks into the dining room from the street or hallways. The curtains prevent his seeing anything except the ceiling and upper walls. In these, however, he can see mirrored all that the room contains. Of course everything appears inverted, and it is astonishing to see a man eating his soup with his head down and his feet in the air. The sight is sufficiently novel to attract crowds at times.

An interesting story is told of a wealthy collector named James W. Ellsworth, who amuses himself by spending thousands of dollars every year in making additions to his various collections. Recently he came in possession of an 1804 dollar that has an interesting history, as its existence was not known. It appears that a colored man received the dollar from his dying father, who had kept it as a means of remembering the year he became a freedman. The negro kept the coin for forty years and finally sold it to a Mr. Driefus.

A Maine dog was presented by his Lubec owner to a man at Eastport. He was kept tied up for several days. When they released him he made for the water and tried to swim to the Lubec side, but the current was too strong. He came back crestfallen. He tried it again, with equally bad luck. But the third time he got to land, and ran four miles to the house of his old owner. He swam a mile and a half.

AT the marriage of the eldest son of Babu Raj Kama Roy, Zemnidarof Narail, India, recently, the procession was a most imposing one, the bridegroom party alone consisting of 1,200 to 1,500 men. A notable innovation in the shape of an Indian female string band, which drove with the procession in a wagonette, attracted a great deal of attention. Miss Emily T. Gerry, a daughter of Elbridge Gerry, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, has just passed her 90th birthday. She lives alone with her servants in her old-fashioned home in New Haven, and until five years ago,when she was paralyzed, retained complete possession of faculties of mind and body. The rare instance of the coming of age of a whole trio of triplets was celebrated recently at Whitenast, near Leamington, England. Generally in case of triplets, the children die soon after birth, but occasionally they survive and reach maturity. One case is on record of quadruplets, all of whom were reared. Capt. Cornelius Nye, a pensioner of the War of 1812, recently celebrated his ninety-eighth birthday at his home in Lynn, Mass. He was born in Fairfield, Me., and spent most of his life there until eighteen years ago. His first vote was cast for James Monroe. Twenty years ago W. A. Van Sickle, of New Brunswick, N. J., lost a watch in a field at that place, and recently a colored man unearthed it. After being soaked in oil the timepiece was found to be in fairly good condition.