When I was a child and we'd go to visit my grandmother on her tobacco farm in NC it was a given that we'd see a snake. This was back in the 1960's. There was a big black snake that lived in her garage that she named Fred. She liked him because he killed all the mice. Her garage was detached from the house.....all the way across the yard.

She also had a man who came every day and worked on the farm. Fed the animals and did whatever you do on a tobacco farm. He didn't like snakes and he wasn't aware of Fred.

Apparently he happened upon Fred one day while looking for a tool in the garage. Scared him so bad that he took a hoe and chopped Fred's head off. When Fred's body slithered out the garage door he went and got his rifle and shot Fred's body several times. Needless to say, that was the end of Fred. I remember my grandmother giving him "what for" (as she'd say) for killing her mouse catcher!