GOT 'EM AGAIN.

NZ Truth, Issue 72, 3 November 1906, Page 6

GOT 'EM AGAIN.

A SILLY, SENSELESS, JOKE.

Snake Drove Johnson Mad.

Attempts Suicide and Dies of Heart . Failure.

It is* not everybody that is aware of the fact that Fijian snakes ace not venomous. Everybody is not supposed to know such a thing. If a man named David Johnson, a mechanic employed at the Vancouver-Fiji Sugar Co.'s mill at Navua, Fiji, had a couple o{ weeks ago' possessed that knowledge fee would not be rotting m his grave, a victim of a pernicious practical joke, the work- of a soulless skunk, who morally, if not legally, is a murderer, and whose after * life should ever be haunted by Johnson's grinning;, hideous ghost. To awaken from a siesta to find, a clammy, slimy, writhing and wriggling six foot snake wound round his neck was just what happened to David Johnson. The horrible shock and fright sent him first stark, staring mad, and while m that state he ' attempted to drown himself, but being rescued, died, a doctor said, from failure of the heart, brought about by the shock of finding a snake wound around his neck.

It was a great joke to the mean mind of a man named Bissett to not only wind the harmless reptile around Johnson's throat, but to add point to his joke by awakening Johnson, who, when he first got out of his ..fright, had a wild look m his eye. It was a dangerous look too, for he at once set m to abuse Bissett who had bought trouble, if any man ever did, and who might have gob what he richly deserved, a damned good hiding, had not others appeared on the scene and thrown oil on the troubled waters. It Happened to be a v-ery ho* day, and ' Johnson had slept on a canvas lounge m the shady verandah. -%

What makes Bissett out a bigger idiot than ever is m the fact that when winding the reptile round Johnson's throat, Goodfellow, the proprietor- of the Navua Hotel, . warned him that the oonsaqaiences might he serious when the ..sleeping man awakened. This warding was lost on practical joker Biasett, who was not to be thus baulked of his little fun, as he woke' Johnson by tapping him on the ■nose with the snake's, tail. The snake had been purchased from a native -for a shilling.- . . ' ■■'■ . Johnson and Bissetfe, however, made it vp iV and later on they Crossed the river m the hotel , lalinchV ; Half-way .across, Johnson,, v whb stili* ipoke^d j fiimiy m the eye v stripped^ tb! the shirt I and before any—there yrere 'several m the launch at 'the timie—cbuld realise what" was happening, he /went '.over-, board. .•• The-; engines were reversed promptly, though it took some time to, stop her, • arid a Navuan settler, named .Mongston' .jumped over and res-. cued, . JoKnsdn, who had twice "sank? Mongston just saved him iin time, " He was taken to Brodziak's store, at' .Tamunua, ' as y quickly as possible, and had- all the water pumped out of; him.' Jphnsqn; jpevlted, and, smiling, f. .saijd, |c' felt as'-Etghtoais rain, and he Jpok4 ed none the' worse for his., dip. J: - lever> during; the night^/ J i^'v^k^' bad again and a dqcior.:'wra».'sent ;i 'for.j: bißi ! ; ; before J the > dbctibr's ; arrival, Jphnsoii handed' -in his: checks. /The dead main was abbirt 50 years of age and' came fropi , Melbourne \vhere he has a wife rind grown-up/ family. Just a -few days before Bissett played bis siUy ; practical joke, . J^olmson heard that his. eldest daughter: was about to be married. It will be. a sad shock, no. doubt,' to his family.. As, for Bissett.' he had better sweat off such . jokes ;' he is responsible for one man's ' death and surely that ought to suffice /him-.'.-'.. .■ ' ' ■:'"