Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1882 — The Dreadful Ra ies. [ARTICLE]

The Dreadful Ra ies.

[Pliiladelohia Special] Oue of the most shocking deaths from hydrophobia ever recorded in this city, occurred on Wednesday night at No. 37 North Thirty seventh street, West Philadelphia. Woi. Henzsey, a fifteen-year-old boy,died after enduring the agony of countless convulsions since Tuesday afternoon, during which it took three strong men to hold him in bed. The lad was appointed to run errands,and his inseparable companion was an apparently timid coach dog. He had been in the habit of making the dog jump for bits of food, which he held in his baud. Ou Wednesday, Jan., 11, having eaten his dinner, the dog began capering about in anticipation of being ted. The boy held out IPs empty hand, and the dog in jumping to it. lacerated a Anger. The lad,being of a r.iT'’ous temperament, at once became nin.med lest he should have hydrophobia, and begged to be placed under medical treatment,and it is barely possible that death resulted from an O’ e.' v,; ought condition of the nervous system from imagination, as the dog gave no signs, of rabies. Ou Monday last, he complained that the slamming of the door made him gasp for. breath. Ou Wednesday morning, he was taken with a light spasm. Auother followed within thirty minutes, and then the whole force of the subtle poison seemed to be thrown into convulsion,after convulsion. The boy’s strength was something marvelous. Despite the efforts of three men, he actually rested his entire w.oigjht upon his heels and the P... . >ead, his bhdy forming an arch, in mis position he worked his body so violently that it was utterly impossible to do more than keep hi > t in bed. There was no cessation of the agonizing throes after 12 o’clock until 3, when the boy, thoroughly exhausted, fell hack and asked for his mother. She came id to the room, and her face lighted up hopefully, as William asked for a cup of water which he swallowed without any difficulty. The faint barking of a dog attracted the boy’s attention, and, turning his

head, h» smiled faintly, and said : Mother do you bear the dogs barking I’m d\ing so • the dogs.” After having laiu quietly f rau Hour he sent for his father aud bade him jgood-bye seemii gly conscious that the end was near’ Then, shortly before 6, anotheFfrightful convulsion took place, in which all the strength and energy of the previous spasms seemed to be combined. The struggle was distressingly long, * After it had ended the great change took place, aud at 6:20 o’clock the poor boy was a corpse.