Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 September 1879 — A Mad Ox. [ARTICLE]

A Mad Ox.

Reading (Pa.) Eagle. A horrible scene was witnessed** near Orwigsburg, Schuylkill county, Thursday. George Herman, a well-to do farmer, narrowly escaped being killed by an ox which was suffering from hydrophobia. A few days ago it was bitten by a dog sup|M»se»f to be mad. Wednesday evening Mr. Herman noticed that the ox acted strangely, and he penned it up in a shed in the barnyard. About 4 o’clock yesterday morning he was awakened by hearing strange sounds in the direction of “the barn. Supposing one of his horses was unwell, he went out and was surprised to see the ox raving around the barnyard, uttering low moans and tearing up the ground with its horns. When*Mr. Herman entered the yard the ox stopped its antics and ho approached It. When he was about twenty feet from the animal it lowered its head and with a blood-curdling roar, made a rush at him. The man retained his presence of mind, and as the animal approached he stepped to oue side, but in doing so he was struck in the face by a hoof. He staggered to his feet and made towards u garden fence, but the ox turned and charged after him. The distance was about thirty yards, and the race was won by the man, wtio reached the fence, and threw himself over it. Before he could rise from the ground there was a terrible crash, ana the ox dashed

the fcn~ «=»ttartn. bed. right and left and rolling headlong over Mr. Herman. It didn't take the man long to get on his feet and escape .over another fetfee. which surround* house* Hfa clothes were badly J»ed up and his fece was covered with blood from the wound caused by the kick he bad reoeived; but hp was not seriously injured. After getting a gun and loading it with powder and a handful of bird shot wrapped in a rag, Herman returned to the fray. He found the ox pawing the ground wrathfully, and pausing occasionally to dig his horns viciously into it, at tne same time giving vent to roars that oould be heard more than a mile away. The suffering animal's head was covered with hlood from cuts received by butting its way out of the stable, aud great quantities of saliva issued from its mouth. Herman mounted a stone wall which runs along one side of the garden, and from that place fired two shots at the infuriated bovine. The first shot took effect in its neck and only seemed to increase its rage, for with blind fury it charged at the stone wall and battered its head against the stones. The second shot, however, struck the ox in the side and killed it. On going to the stable where the animal had been penned the night before, Herman found the sides of that structure completely battered to Eieces, aud in another part of the yard | e found a hog weighing nearly 200 pounds dead, and gored to a shapeless mass of jelly.