IN A NEST OF SNAKES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9307, 16 September 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

IN A NEST OF SNAKES.

HORRIBLE DEATH MET BY A GIRL. Memphis, Augusb 6.—Minnie Hightower, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Hiram Hightower, a trapper and fisherman who lives on Horseshoe Lake, Ark., was killed by moccasin snakes yesterday in a singular and horrible manner. The story was told to-day by a man who saw her body. The moccasin snake loses ib vision almost entirely durinsr the month of Augusb, jusb before ib sheds its skin. During this period of blindness the reptile is very vicious and strikes at every noise. Horseshoe Lake is noted for the number of snakes to be found in its waters and along the banks, but Miss Hightower had killed hundreds of the reptiles and had little fear of them. Yesterday morning she paddled her canoe to a drift of logs in the middle of the lake for the purpose of fishing. When Hightower returned ab noon he looked toward the drift and was surprised to see his daughter stretched out on the logs. He paddled quickly to the island, scarcely 100 yards from the bank. Lying on the logs was the girl, dead, swollen, and discoloured almost' beyond recognition. Hightower counted seven moccasins coiled on and around the body. She was barefooted, and the marks of tho serpents' fangs were on her feet, legs,.face, and neck. It was apparent thab the girl had found a colony of the snakes on the drifb pile, and that when she was killing one the others had bitten her on the feet. She fainted from pain and fright, and the reptiles sank their fangs into her face and neck. The snakes showed no disposition bo retreab when the agonised father approached. They coiled and struck ab him as soon as he set foot on the logs, and ib book him nearly an hour to recover the body.