Special to Times-Republican.

    Webster City, June 11.—Randall, a small town south of this city, and the farm community east is terribly wrought up over the alleged presence of a monstrous snake seen a half mile east of the town. The serpent is between twenty-five and thirty feet in length and its trail across a newly plowed field is larger than the track left by the largest automobile wheel. Measurement of the trail shows It to be about eight inches in width. The presence of this huge snake is well authenticated and people in the community where it has been seen are going armed and are keeping a close watch. It is hoped the monster can be killed within a few days.
    H. G. Pederson, a farmer residing east of Randall, has seen the trail of the serpent a good many times, but never knew what it was. The other clay, however, while M. L. Henderson was at his farm plowing in the field with his hired man, George Anfinson the snake was seen. Henderson was plowing in one field and Anfinson on another, near the H. G. Pederson house. Anfinson saw the snake crossing the newly plowed ground. He could hardly believe his eyes. The serpent’s size made at attack upon Anfiinson’s part out of the question. He went over to the hillside where Henderson was at work and told him what he had seen. Henderson sent for a gun and dog. While these were being brought, the men noted a herd of cattle, grazing under a large tree some distance away and in the direction in which the snake had gone, become frightened at something, stampede, and run in every direction. When the dog arrived he was put upon the snake’s trail. He followed it to the tree where the catte became frightened and thence on down to the Shunk river, where it disappeared. Following the trail back, the men found that the snake had been lying in a clump of bushes, frequented by Mr. Pederson’s chickens, this probably being its feeding ground. The hunt, of course, had to be abandoned.
    Later, however, in the same afternoon, while back at his plowing, Anfinson again saw the snake. The community is wrought up to a high state of excitement over the matter. M. L. Henderson is one of Randall’s most influential and well-to-do business men, and Anfinson, too, is widely known as a man of the best standing. The standing of these men and the positions they occupy in the community is sufficient authentication for the story. A party will be organized to hunt the monster to death.

From— Evening Times-Republican. (Marshalltown, Iowa), 11 June 1909. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.