Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 January 1879 — Fighting a Mad Dog. [ARTICLE]

Fighting a Mad Dog.

The Hartford (Ct.) Courant gives an account of a mad dog which created much alarm by biting people and dogs in that town. The Courant says: “ The dog next attacked David Phelps and bit him in the leg. A. Mr. Foley was passing, and the dog went savagely after him, and caught him by the coat, but did not succeed in biting him. The animal next put his jaws onto the leg of a young man, but the bite was harmless, as the teeth struck against the top of a boot, and did not go through. The froth from the dog’s mouth was left upon the young man’s pants. “By this time a crowd had begun to collect, and a gay young man armed with a revolver fired three shots at the animal without effect. Then Officer Jencks, of the police force, came along, and, taking a double-barreled shot-gun, followed the dog into Morgan street, and into an alley a little way down the street. As he went into the alley the dog was facing him, and he made a dive for him. He discharged one barrel of the gun, and the shot proved harmless, whereat the animal, now thoroughly enraged, came at him furiously. The officer was now in a critical condition. A crowd had gathered in the vicinity, and he must be careful about firing, as the dog turned into the street. Considering his safest position to be a standing and defensive one, he stood his ground, and the dog came at him on a jump, with jaws wide open, and, as he came into close quarters, the officer let him take the barrel of the gun into his mouth, and, as he seized it with his teeth, fired, and fortunately the weapon was discharged. There was not much left of the dog. The first noticeable thing after the explosion was a dog-col-lar flying through the air, and what was left of the dog was lying around loose. Officer Jencks, though an old soldier, says the position he held for a few seconds was not a very cheerful one, and he really expected tliat the dog would get the better of him, but when he saw the dog-collar safely removed he began to feel safe himself. It was certainly a courageous act on the part of the officer. The dog was 18 years old.”