Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1901 — MURDER BY ANIMALS. [ARTICLE]

MURDER BY ANIMALS.

DUMB BRUTES THAT CHERISH ENMITIES TOWARD MAN. Many instances Known in Which They Have Avenged Wrong* Bone Them— Bnll blew Its owner and hace-Horse lte Boy Tormentor. In almost every part of the world man-killing by animals Is common enough, but euses where a mau Is murdered deliberately by an animal are quite rare. There have been eases, though, where animals havo killed men In such a manner that had they been bipeds instead of quadrupeds they would have been tried for aud convicted of murder iu the ttrst degree. Stories of several murders by auimals come from England. A Lincolnshire bull suddenly evinced a hatred for its owner, and the farmer bad need of the greatest agility to avoid the animal w’heuever he happened to be iu the same field with It. With everyone else on the farm the bull was as gentle ns could be aud even would come to the farm hands to be petted In response to a peculiar call. One day a farm band working in a field saw the bull, which was grazing in a meadow near by, walk to a gate leading to the yard of tlie bouse, lift the latch with his nose aud pass through. In the yard was the farmer, asleep In a chair tilted against the side of the house. The bull seemed to know that the farmer was asleep and stealthily approached him. The farm hand, realizing what the animal was about, ran with a pitchfork to try to prevent tlie Impending murder, but lie was too late. The bull paused within half a dozen paces of the sleeping farmer lowered his head aud made a furious rush, pinning tlie man against the side of the building aud killing him instantly. Without waiting to gore his victim the bull turned and strolled out Into the meadow again. A corporal in a native Indian regiment was murdered by a monkey. The monkey had been caught young nnd had been kept as a pet by an officer of the regiment, who was fond of him on account of the unusual intelligence he showed. It was tlie duty of a pertain corporal to feed the moukey aud oue day he accidentally gave it some food which caused it great pain. The monkey never forgot or forgave the corporal, though another soldier was assigned to the duty of feeding the animal. One morning the officer awoke to find his pet, which slept in the same room, missing. He dressed hastily and went out. The first tliiug lie heard was that the corporal had been found in his company-room with his throat cut, tlie monkey sitting on his body toying with a razor. The razor subsequently was Identified as oue belonging to the officer aud had been left on the table In his room when lie went to bed the preceding night. To commit the crime the monkey must have gone out, razor in hand, into the pitch dark night, walked 200 yards to the nu n’s quarters, slipped past the guard nnd made his way down a long corridor to tlie room where the corporal was sleeping. No one saw tlie monkey until after the murder had been committed.

A boy of 13 was murdered by a race horse, which had taken a violent dislike to him. It Is believed that tlie boy at some time had teased or maltreated the horse, for it was geutleness itself with every one else. Tlie boy was warned not to go near the horse, but one day he entered a loose box stall where his enemy was confined. The horse at once knocked tlie boy down, grabbed him by the back of ills waistcoat with his teetli and beat his brains out by slamming him against the sides of the stall. Tlie horse kept would-be rescuers at bay while lie was committing Ids murder by kicking violently. Having killed the boy, lie allowed the stable hands to enter the stall without trying to do them harm. There have beeu several instances where elephants hijye watched an opportunity and murdered tlielr keepers, aguiust whom they had some grievance, perhaps of long standing.-New York Press