Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1878 — An Equine Man-Eater. [ARTICLE]

An Equine Man-Eater.

The Hambletonian stallion “Risingham,” one of the finest-bred horses in Orange county, N. Y,, was recently killed by his owner, Dr. J. A. Schultz. This horse was 21 years old. An offer of $7,000 was once refused for him. Nineteen years ago he began to exhibit signs of viciousness that increased as he grew older. Finally he became almost unmanageable, and since then he has been known as the “Man-eater.” He has killed three men and wounded and disfigured twenty others. For fourteen years no one dared to put him in a wagon, until, a short time ago, Dr. Schultz, with the aid of several men, got him in harness and to a wagon and tried to drive him. The stallion broke everything to pieces, and the doctor was himself saved by the merest chance. Many of the leading horse-trainers of the country had tried their skill at subduing him. He conquered them all, and nearly killed one of them. One of his latest exploits was the seizing of a negro groom who had undertaken to keep him, tearing oil the man's right cheek and destroying the eye, and stripping the flesh from his right arm. The groom became blind and paralyzed. The three men who preceded the negro as grooms all narrowly escaped with their lives. One lost an ear, another had three fingers and a thumb taken off. It became impossible to get a groom for the stallion. No one knew at what moment the biute would attack him. Dr. Schultz at last made up his mind that Risingham was chronically insane, and concluded to kill him before he claimed another victory. As Risingham stood in his stall glaring at the spectators who had entered the stable to see the man-eater die, five large pistol-balls were shot into his head, directly between his eyes. They failed to bring him down, and, uttering the fiercest neighs, he ’"iade frantic efforts to get over the manger among the bystanders. As a man drew the attention of the horse away, Dr. Schultz, by a skillful thrust of a long knife, severed his jugular vein. Horsemen say that but for the temper of this horse he would have been worth $30,000.