Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1875 — A Story of a Dog and a Jackdaw. [ARTICLE]

A Story of a Dog and a Jackdaw.

On the morning of the day following Christmas, four years ago, the porter of the store of Messrs. Root, Anthony A Co., No. 69 Liberty street, on opening the front door found everything in cowfusion ; the floor was littered with tools, oil-bottles, steel and iron wedges, and black muslin by the piece. Further examination justified the suspicion that burglars had been at work. Keys had been fitted to the outside locks on the eve of a holiday, so that the robbers had an entire day Sunday and two nights in which to work. Once inside the building they were met with the unexpected difficulty of deciding which of the five safes before them contained the prize. Fortunately, the burglars began operations on a safe which probably never contained a cent of money, being evidently attracted by its grim appearance, and the fact that it was hidden away in a dark corner of the store. A vast amount of labor was wasted upon this old safe, and the rage and disappointment of the robbers when they found out their mistake were vented upon the harmless books and papers which it contained. They then began to work on another safe, which contained in those times of revenue stamps what was equivalent to *17,000 in greenbacks. Adjoining the store of Messrs. Root, Anthony & Co. lives, in his bachelor rooms, the well-known restaurant-keep-er, Mr. Sutherland, who at the time had a pet jackdaw that was more than usually amusing by his antics. He was ever ready to catch pennies, pick up brilliant trifles, or indulge in mischief of any kind. From some cause, either a sudden gleam of intelligence or his chronic desire to meddle in every one’s business, early in the morning the jackdaw, with loud cries and screams, darted out the window into the back-yard of Root, Anthony & Co. The easiest way for Mr. Sutherland to obtain his pet was through the store in which the burglars were still at work, and, as he thought he had heard noises on the premises, which he presumed were made by the porter, he stepped into the street and tried the stere door. At the same time he saw a man a few yards off move uneasily away. After vigorously shaking the door and hearing no response he returned to his own premises, and sent a man to climb over the wall into the rear of the adjoining premises and capture the jackdaw that so provokingly kept beyond reach. The burglars, now satisfied that they were discovered, precipitately fled, locking the door after them; and thus the *17,060 of revenue stamps were saved to their owners. On last Christmas morning Mr. Sutherland was disturbed in his sleep by the most extraordinary conduct of his pet dog Brownie, a little Scotch terrier, a great favorite and unusually intelligent. This little creature alter business hours has the run of the entire interior of the building. On the morning alluded to Mr. Sutherland was awakened by Brownie, who officiously poked his cold nose into his master’s face, for which presumed impertinence he was rudely brushed on the floor. The dog, however , instantly returned to the charge and very earnestly began opening his master’s eyes with his toe-nails. This brought Sutherland to his feet and senses and also to the consciousness that he was partly suffocated by a hot smoke that filled the room. Instantly comprehending the danger he gave the alarm, when examination showed that the fire was under the floor of the printing office of the adjoining building, occupied by Messrs. Root, Anthony & Co., which fire was soon extinguished by the local patrol and with, comparatively speaking, a nominal loss. The first time the premises were protected from a large robbery by the unaccountable conduct of a jackdaw; the second time from destructive fire by the intelligence of the little pet Brownie. The poor bird has gone to the happy hunting-grounds, but Brownie lives, as active, mischievous, useful and comically handsome as ever, waiting for a gold medal from the Humane, Society.— N. Y. Evening Pott.