Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-06-30
Miseelta,teous.
A TERRIBLE ADVENTURE.

About two months ago, while assisting
to rig out a vessel in the river, man
named Peter Demery, living on Peterboro'
street, in the northern outskirts of the
city, stuck rusty spike through the sole
OF his left foot, and has ever since been
laid up by the accident, once narrowly es-
Gaping an attack of lockjaw. His family
consists of wife and boy, the latter about
ten years old. Sunday afternoon the moth
er and boy went on visit to some friends
on Carrot road, leaving the invalid lying
on bed that stood in ''recess" of the
front room. As Demery goes on a crutch,
he had heavy one lying on the bed when
they went away.
For three years the family had owned a
large cur dog, of no particular value, but
kept around for the same reason that nine
tenths ofthe families in poor circumstances
still feel, that they must keep worthless
cur about to eat up the provisions that
might otherwise be eaten by child. The
dog wanted to go with the boy, but was
driven back, and laid down on the step.
Demery states that he had read for about
an hour, when his attention was attracted
to the dog. The anima! had walked in at
the open door, and stood in the centre of
the room uttering growing, wheeling
sort of noise. his eyes shining, and the hair
on his back bristiing up straight. He spoke
sharply to the animal, who skunk under
the bed, keeping up a bowling as If in
pain. A window is situated near the re-
cess and almost opposite the door, and this
was little way up at the bottom, the sash
being held up by hook.
A sudden breeze coming up, created a
draft that slammed the door shut, and
Demery and his dog were thus shut up, as
it were, together. He states that the dog
kept up his annoying tones until he finally
spoke sharp to him, when all at once, the
brute bounded from under the bed and
commenced running around the room.
His eyes were full of blood. he kept snap
ping his jaws together like trap, and
every hair on the animal seemed to stand
erect. There was no foam about the brute's
Jaws, but he emitted a sort of sudsy saliva
that scented the room like musk. Round
he went, turning over chairs, swapping at
the blowing window curtain every time he
passed, ,and each time he leaped over the
cook stove. which stood out just from the
wall.
Demery did not realize that he invoked
any danger in speaking to the dog he re-
garded the affair as arising from desire of
the dog to get out and follow the boy. So
he yelled sharply at the brute, bidding him
lay down. The dog, just then, had halted
near the door, and Demery was raised up on
his elbow. holding his crutch in one hand,
as he had notion to hobble over and open
the door. Hardly had he spoken, when the
dog gbounded forward, giving a fearful lhowi.
Instinctively, the man extended his crutch,
which came in contact with the dogs head,
and he went rolling on the floor. When
he got up, it was to resume his race around
the room, looking more frightful than ever
Demery sprang on the back side of the
bed, close to the wall, holding his crutch
ready for defense, but hoping that the mad
brute would not again attack him.
| 1t was now time when Demery might
expect his wife and child to return at any
moment, and it suddenly occurred to him
that their return would only be to meet an
attack from the dog. If they ascended the
steps and opened the door, as was entirely
natural, the dog would bite one or both.
There was no longer room to doubt that he
was rabid, and that his madness was grow
ing worse all the time. He might shout
an alarm as they stood at the door, but
would they understand and heed it in time
1t is but due to a sober. industrious man
to state that in that moment of peril to his
family and to himself, he resolved on a
Qeeu tldI huOulu 20 GOWN Oh TtCOTu IoF
future generations to read. He resolved
to make that mad brute attack him hoping
in the struggle to deal him death blow with
the crutch Carefully getting upon his
knees and securing affirm hold of the crutch,
Demery yelled at the dog. The animal was
tearing around the room, snarling and
clashing his jaws together, and he stopped,
looked up for a moment, and then sprang
for the bed. He just got his paws and
head upon it when down came the crutch,
and ne rolled over and over.
Three times was this repeated, and the
fourth time the animal was stunned by the
blow, and, while he lay gasping on the
floor the crutch was broken to pieces over
his head, and he was afterward finished off
with the axe. The man did not faint nor
grow pale; he dragged the body out doors
and waited for his family. who came in
about half an hour, and the carcass was
buried. He yesterday hobbled down to
the Central Station to see if he had violated
the ordinance by buryiny the body in his
yard. 1t was there that, in n modest, hesi-
tating way, he gave the above facts to our
reporter. Press.