Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1874 — A Horrible Snake Story. [ARTICLE]

A Horrible Snake Story.

Messrs. D. 8. Perkins, Joseph Straley and John F. Stienrack, a party of Chicago tourists, returned yesterday from a three months’ trip through Park, Summit and Grande Counties. They fitted out an outfit at Simpson’s corral last July, and drove down southward and prospected from Granite to Fort Steele, on the Union Pacific. These gentlemen relate a most horrible Snake story, which will bear repeating. They were encamped in Elk Head Mountains, in the on the 10th of last September, when they met with a misfortune which cost one of the party his life. The party arrived in camp late one night after a day’s hunt and ramble over the hills. After a hearty supper the party lay down in their blankets around the fire, which had been built in the cleft of some large quartz rocks, and all were soon fast asleep. Mr. Straley was awakened in the night by a heavyweight upon his chest. At first he supposed it was his brother’s hand, but as it did not move, and becoming nervous and alarmed, he raised his head, and was hor» rifled to find a large mountain rattlesnake coiled upon his chest, with its head nestled down in the center of the coil. It was nearly daylight, but Mr. Straley was so paralyzed with fear that he could not make a noise and dared not move. He recovered his presence of mind so far as to be aljje to draw the blanket over his face.. This ‘'movement startled the reptile monster, wmckglhjgd from him to his brother, who was sleeping with him. The snake passed from his breast to his brother’s face, when in a fatal moment Henry Straley raised his hand to tear it away. There was a fierce rattle and a loud cry from the half-awakened boy, and the monster buried its fangs in his right hand and a second time in his cheek. There was a horrible scream from Henry Straley as the poor boy jumped to his feet, while the snake glided from the blankets to a large flat rock near the embers of the fire. Mr. Jenkins fired his revolver at the horrible creature, and at the second shot brought it down. Poor young Straley was soon suffering the most intense agony. His brother, at his request, cut out a large portion of the cheek in hopes that the poison had not penetrated very deep,, and a tight ligature was bound around the wrist of the bitten hand, which was bathed in cold water. But nothing the horrified young men could do availed to save the poor boy. He died in less than two hours in the most terrible agony. Had the party been supplied with a plentiful supply of whisky his life might have been saved, but they had none with them. The body changed color within three hours after the accident. The young men conveyed the corpse to Fort Steele, whence it was shipped home to Chicago for interment. The snake measured four feet in length and had nine rattles, which were taken off, and which were shown to our reporter at the corral last evening. —Denver (OW.) World.