BABY IN PERIL

Southland Times, Issue 21607, 20 January 1932, Page 8

BABY IN PERIL

PLAYED WITH

REPTILE SHOT IN TIME.

Sydney, January 1. Twenty-months old Stanley Forbes played with death, this morning, when he danced around a black snake four and a half feet long, on a neighbour’s front verandah, in Dacre street, Long Bay. The reptile was poised, about to strike, when Mr John Eyles looked out of the window, seized a rifle, and shot it dead. It was only inches from the baby’s legs. The baby lives with its parents next door to Mr Eyles’s home, and has lately made a habit of playing there. No one took any notice this morning when they heard Stanley cooing and gurgling on the front verandah of Mr Eyles’s place. They thought he was merely rolling about happily on the floor. But Stanley was very near death. The snake was wriggling about the floor of the verandah, and the child was trying to pat it on the head. Had he succeeded, the snake would no doubt have struck, and perhaps killed him. Mr Eyles was asleep in a front room and awakened in the nick of time. Looking quickly out of the window, as the snake’s hisses attracted him, he saw the child running round and round the reptile, which was poised, its head extended, Gurgling happily, the child held out its hand. Mr Eyles dashed into another room, seized his pea-rifle, and hurried back to the window. He had to wait for Stanley to move, and then fired one shot. The bullet pierced the brain of the snake, which fell dead at the boy’s feet.