Two Husbands Killed by Same Rattlesnake

1916

Woman Made Widow Second Time — Reptile Is Then Captured and Slain.

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi. — W. C. Cole, Hattiesburg grocer, has just received a dead rattlesnake which he says was responsible for the death of two husbands of a woman in the logging camps of Mississippi.

"I do not want to mention the woman's name," said Mr. Cole, "as she begged me not to. Some two years ago her husband was killed by a snake while logging. He was bitten, the fangs of the snake penetrating a high top boot.

"After his death another lumberman married the woman. Being poor, she offered him her dead husband's high top boots. He accepted them. He died a few days later from snake poisoning. It was found that the fang of the snake was imbedded in the boot and had penetrated the flesh of the second husband, also poisoning him."

Mr. Cole says this is the first case of the kind he ever heard and that several hunters captured and killed the snake.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Sept. 16, 1916, p. 7.

Pioneer Was Smoker More Than Century

March 1920

NEWTON, Kan. — James Owens, a pioneer of Newton, has received news of the death of his grandfather, John Owens, of Mississippi, said to have been the oldest man in that state. He was 114 years old, Mr. Owens said.

"My grandfather was a habitual user of tobacco for more than 100 years," said Mr. Owens. "He used to take pride in declaring that he never had taken a dose of medicine in his life. Although stout and healthy, he was small and weighed not more than 130 pounds."

Rum Omelette for Him

1905

This is the true story of how a Mississippi editor kept his New Year's resolution not to drink vinous, malt, distilled or other variety of intoxicating beverages. On or about Jan. 3 he came to town with a small hand satchel and the good resolution not to drink aforesaid.

In a short time he found himself at a table in a restaurant with a party of congenial spirits. The congenial spirits were partaking of spirits equally congenial. Only the Mississippi editor was adhering to a glass of cold, repellant, unsympathetic ice water.

"Have something to drink," suggested one of the party.

"No; I've sworn off; don't intend to drink any more," was the virtuous reply.

"Too bad! Too bad!" was the sympathetic rejoinder.

The conversation became more lively, spirits grew high. The Mississippi editor keenly felt his aloofness. He began to understand how the mummy at the ancient Egyptian feasts used to feel.

"Have something more, old man!" suggested one of the party to him as the glasses were being replenished, forgetting he had declined before.

To the despairing and thirsty soul of the molder of public opinion came a flash of positive inspiration.

"By heaven!" he exclaimed excitedly, under the influence of a great idea.

"I swore I would not drink it any more, but I never said a word about eating it. Waiter, bring me a rum omelette and see you pour plenty of rum over it!"

At the sixth rum omelette, which the Mississippi editor ate with a spoon to lose none of the sauce, he grew visibly elate.

Which shows that love will find a way. — New Orleans Times-Democrat.