The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-07-15
From the French Of Holstein
THE MUTE WITNESS;
Or the Dog and the Assassin.
BY MRS. c. a. soULE.

While travelling in 1877, through the beauti-
ful city of Leipzig, l observed about half a
league from the gate of the town a few rods
from the highway, wheel, and the bones of a
| chained corpse exposed to the gaze of every
passer.
The following is the history of that criminal,
as learned it from the lips of the judge who
conducted the trial and condemned him TO be
broken alive.
a German butcher being benighted in the
midst of a forest, lost his way, and while endea-
voring to gain the road was attacked by three
hlghwaymen. He was on horseback and accom-
panied by large dog. One of the robbers sci
zed the horse by the bride while two others
dragged the butcher from the saddle and felled
/ him. The dog leaped Immediately upon one of
them and strangled him; but the other wound
: ed the animal so severely that he rushed into
the thicket, uttering..the most fearful howl. The
butcher, who by this time had disengaged him
self from the grasp of the second robber drew
his knife and killed him. But at the same mo-
ment he received shot from the third he who
had just wounded the dog, and falling was des-
patched by the thief, who found upon him a
large sum in gold, silver watch and few 9TH
er articles of value. He plundered the corpse,
leaped upon the horse and fed
The next morning, two wood cutters, happen
ing in that path, were surprised to find three
dead bodies and large dog, who seemed to be
guarding them. They examined them and en-
deavored to restore life, but in vain One of
them dressed the wounds Of the dog, gave him
some food, and sought some water for him, while
the other fastened to the nearest village to in
form the magistrate of the discovery The Off
Ger accompanied by several attendants, was
soon on the spot; surgeon examined the
wounds of the three bodies; they drew up verb
al process and inferred them.
The dog had dragged himself in the course
of the night, when all was quiet, to the corpse
of his master, where he was found the next NOR
ming. He allowed his new friends to dress his
wounds, and as if forseeing that he must con-
sent TO live that he must one day avenge the
murdered; he ate and drank, but would not
leave the spot. He looked on qnistly while they
dug the grave and allowed them to bury the
bodies; but the turf was replaced,
he stretched himself upon it, howled mournfully
and resisted all the efforts of the bystanders to
induce him to move. He snapped at all who
came near him, except the woodman who had
tended him. He bore his carresses, but no
sooner did the man attempt to take his paws to
remove him from the grave, than he gnashed
his teeth and would have wounded him severely
if he had not quickly fed. Every one adminir-
ed the fidelity of the dog, and when the wood
man offered 20 carry him food and drink every
day, that he might not perish, the magistrate
proposed taking up a collection to renumerate
the man, who was poor and the father of large
family. With difficulty he was induced to ac-
cept the money but he finally did, and from
that moment burdened himself with the care of
his new petitioner
The details of this horrible event were pub
lished in the principal journals of the country.
NJ. Meyer brother of the butchers reading
some time afterwards the advertisement of the
magistrate, fastened instantly to his presence.
saying he had fears which he believed now were
len into the hands of robbers, as he had left
home with large sum in gold for the purchase
of beeves, and had not since been heard from
His suspicious were only too sadly confirmed
when the magistrate related to him the singular
conduct OF dog which he described. NJ Mey-
er, accompanied by the officer and several 9th
ers repaired to the grave. AS soon as the dog
perceived his masters brother, he howled lap
ped his hands, and evinced numerous other de-
monstrations of grief and joy. By different
parts of his dress, Nj. Meyer recognised the bo-
dy of his brother when they disinterred it. The
absence of the gold and the watch, the wounds
of the butcher and his dog, those of the two 9th
er bodies, together with the disappearance of
the horse convinced the magistrate and the wit
nesses that the deceased had not only been as
sailed by the two, but also by one or several
plumber.
Having obtained permission, NJ. Meyer reno
we'd his brothers corpse to his native village
and inferred it in the adjoining cementary-
The faithful dog followed the body, but by de-
grees became attached to his new master
Every effort was made by the most dilicent
search and the offer of immense rewards to dis
cover the assassins. But in vain; the horrible
tragedy remained an enigma.
Two years had passed away, and all hopes of
solving the mystery vanished, when NJ. Meyer
received letter urging him to repair without
delay to Leipzig to close the eyes of his mater