Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1860-10-19
TIE DOC AND THE ASSASSIN.
BY MRS. O. A. souLE.


tiful eitJ~sf Leipzig, observed, about half
league from the gate of the town, a few rods
from the highway, wheel ani the bones Of a
chained corpse exposed to the gazs Of every
passer.
The following is the history Of that criminal,
as learned il from the Judge who conducted
the trial, aud condemned him 10 be broken
alive:
German butcher beiug bcnighted in the
midst of forest lost his way, aud in endeavor-
ing to find the road was attacked BY highway
men. He was on horseback and accompanied
by large dog. One of the robbers seized the
horse by the bride, while tho two Others
dragged the butcher from his saddle aud feled
him. The dog immediately leaped upon one
of them aud straDgled him bat the other
wounded the animal so severely that he rushed
into the woods utteripg the most fearfal howls.
The butcher, who by this time had disengaged
himself from the grasp Of the second rob5er.
drew bis knife and killed him. But at the
same moment be received a shot from the third
one who had wounded the dog, aud falling,
was dispatched by the thief, who found rpo0
him large sum of gold, silver watch and
few other articles of value. lie plundered
The corpse, leaped on the horse and fed
The next morning two wood dseuttsrs happen
ing in that path, were surprised to fad three
dead bodies and large.dag who seemed 70 b.
guarding them. They examiaed them, ana
endeavored to restore life, but 10 vain.
One of them dressed the wounds of The dog,
gave him some food and sought some water for
him, while the other hastened to the nearest
village with the news of the discovery Tue
officer, accompanied bg several attend alsts, was
soon on the spot; a surgeon examined the
wounds of the three bodies they drew up
verbal process and Inferred them.
The dog had dragged himself, in tue course
of the night, when ali was quiet, to The corpse
Of his master, whore he was the next morning
lie sllowea bis new friends to dress his wounds,
as if foreseelag that he must consent TO live
that be might one day avenge the murdered,
be ate aud dFaak, but would not leags the
hnot.a
Ho looked on qaetly as they dug the gcave,
and allowed tbem to bury the bodies, but as
the Turf was replaced, he stretched hilnself
upon II, hogled nournfuiiY, aud resisted al
efforts Of the byst4nders TO Induce him 10 nIovs.
he snapped st all who came near bim, except
the woodman who had tended him. He bore
his caressss, but 90 sooner did the man at
tempt to take his paws TO remove him from the
grave than be gn4shed bis teeth and would
have wounded hIm severely if he had not fed
Every cue admired the idelity of the dog and
when tue woodm4n offered to carry him food
aud drink each day that he might not perish, i,
toe magistrate proposed taking up collection
10 remanerate the mIn, as be Was poor, aud
tie father OF large family. With dificul ty
be was induced to accept the money, but he f.
nally did, and from that moment burdened
h:ms elf with the care of bis new pensioDer.
The details of this horrible event were pub
lished in the principle journals of the country.
j. Meyers, brother of the butcher, reading
sometime afterward tue advertisement of the
ma gistrate, FASTENED instantly to bis presence,
SAYING he had fears which be believed only
too we'll founded, that bis brother had fallen
INTO the hands Of robbers, as be had left home
with large sum of money for the purchase OF
0eeves, aud was not since heard from. His
suspicious were only 200 sadly confirmed when
the magistrate related to him the conduct OF a
dog which be described. Mr Meyers, accom-
panied by the officer and several others, re-
paired to the grave. As soon as the dog per-
eeived his masters brother, he howled, tapped
his hands aud evInced other demonstrations
of jly. By different parts of his dress Mr.
Meyers recognized the body Of bis brotheF,
when they disntsrred 1t. Tbs absence OF the
gold and the watch, the wounds of the butch
er and his dog, those of the two other bodies,
together with the disappearance of the horse,
convinced the magistrate and the witnesses
that the deceased had not only been assassiua-
.nl In hut Il Nv Lot thars
who had fed with the horse and pluuder.
Having obtained permission, Mr.. Meyer re-.
moved bis corpse to his native village aud in
TERED it in the adjoining cemetery. The faith
full dog followed the body, but by degrees he
became attached to his new master.
Every effort was made by the most dlligent
search, and the offer of immense rewards to
discover the asSassins. But in vain, the horrie
tie tragedy remained an enigma.
Two years had passed away, and all hopes
of solving the mystery had vanished, when Mr.
Meyer received letter urging him to repair
without delay TO Leipzig to close the eyes of
ais maternal uncle, who desired TO see him be-
fore be died. He Immediately fastened thith-
er, accompanied bv his brothers. dog, who was
his constant companion. He arrived too late.
His relative had deceased the previous even
ing, bequeathing him large fortune. lie
found the city crowded, it being the season of
the great fals held regulArly there twice a
year.
While walking one morning on the public
square, attended as usual by bis dog, he was
astonisbed TO behold the animal leap forward
liks fash. He dashed upon the crowd and
leapsd fnriously upon an elegantly dressed
young man who was seated in the centre OF
the square, upon an elevated platform erected
for the spectators who desired more conve.
niently to witness the show He held him by
the throat with so firm grasp that be would
have soon strangled him bad no assistance been