SNAKE IN CELL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 5 September 1934, Page 6

SNAKE IN CELL

DRUNKEN MAN’S VISION SYDNEY, 27th August. The scrgenat in charge of the Ooraki woiico station is familiar with the symptoms of aclfrimh tfeihens, and consequently lie had no hesitation in di agonising the complaint of a “drqnk” who was confined ih one of the cells. It appears that the man was arrested ou a charge of drunkenness and detained until he was sobered enough to leave the station on giving the ordinary security. But an hour or so afterwards a constable re-arrested him in a renewed condition of drunkenness. The sergeant was convinced that the man was a chronic victim of alcoholism, and had him again locked up in one of the cells. Some time afterwards a great roaring and tumultuous sounds were heard coming from the cell. The voice of the poor "druiik” could be heard in a terrified key, as lie exclaimed, T’m killing a snake! I’m killing a snake!” The sergeant had no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that the man was in an advanced stage of delirium tremens, for a man suffering from that complaint invariably perceives snakes twisting and crawling about walls and floors. The sounds became so continuous and the roaring was so loud that the sergeant decided to investigate, and lie himself received a shock. For the “drunk,” alined with the lid of a tin can, was battering at a black snake which was lying on the floor of the cell. The snake was still wriggling. The “drunk” had succeeded in mortally wounding it. "It’s all right, sergeant,” he said. “I found lie was in my bed when I lay down, and I’ve killed him.” And then he added, as he. looked significantly at the sergeant, “I only saw one of them.”