Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-07-08

/ To the EdiieFs eI ue pA4las he'N'
GENTLEMEN In order that We
may arrive at a correct answer 10
the above enquiries, | will submit a
plain statement Of facts,
In tho month Of July, about
eighteen months since, during tho
might an animal entered an
open window OF my house, passed
over "A bed where several children
were sleeping, descended TO the
floor, entered another room where
q lady was rcposing, and there
by It's actions and singular noise
appeared 10 have taken Mt
The lady called 10 me to come and
drive out a dog which she averred
was whining and snoring under her
bed. As there was an open win
dow near the head of her bed, sup
posed that tho animal was lying on
the outside, and that the noise that
alarmed her came in at tho window,
This opinion intimated to her, but
she insisted that the animal was IN
reality under her bed. To remove
hcr fears, | went into her room, di'
ructNas my steps to the open win.
dow and calling TO the supposed
dog to "gct out" As | passed her
bed an animal, that | supposed to
be house cat, sprang out from he.
meath the bed, and with n squall
resembling that Of young bear,
seized and inflicted severe bite in
tho calf of my leg. The creature
then passed into the room i had
just left, still making n whining
noise and biting four chairs that
happened TO lay in its way. en.
tertained no doubt as to the animal
being rabid, under the effects of hy-
drophobia, nnd Immediately alarm
ed every one in the house in order
that they might avoid the intruder.
| supposed at the moment that the
animal was house cat belonging
to the place, but was soon informed
that the animal in question was
quietly sleeping with some children
in an upper room. then presumed
that it was soine strange cat that
had gone mad and entered the house
as described. Closing the door of
the room where | was to prevent
the return of the animal and allay
the apprehensions of the lady, |
Jumped ont of the window, and sci
zing the first weapon that presented
itself ca hoe), placed myself foppo-
site the front door; my son, with
some similar weapon, had placed
himself at the other door, tho only
places of egrcss, Ms the inside doors
were closed at the moment tho IN
mates of the different rooms found
out the nature of the unwelcomc
visitor. The animal had now ccn-
sed its strange noiso, and no Ion
ger snupped at everything it hap.
pehed tt pass. We did not have
lohg TO Wait tbr its appearance; it
passed leisuisly out Of the door
where | was stationed, and was in
stantly killed by myself and son,
assisted by two dogs. The animal
proved to DO n full l-gtown raccoon.
Now, as there was no animal OF that
kind pet in the neighborhcod, we
must infer that the animal was
from the woods in all its native
wildness. Being fully convinced
that in ordinary parlancc the crca.
turc was mad, and being once pre- .
sent where five or six persons were ,,
bitten by q mad wolf, all Of whom ,,
died in few wcoks, | was some. -,
what alarmed, and sent an express ..
at once for an able physician to pay :
me visit. He sent me u note sta .
ting that all he could do would be !
to cut out and scarify tho wound, q,
all of which | could do as we'll my =
self; he moreover intimRtcd that if .
wished to try the efficacy of n mad ,
stone, | would find one in certain :
neighborhood, without giving the ,
name of the owner. inferred from !
the general tenor of his letter that
he had no faith in the stono himself, ,
but called my attention to it with ;,
he idea that I might acquire, some |;
aith in it which would perhaps 9
prevent my dwelling in imagina- /,
ion upon a subject so fearful as to /,
produce in reality madness itself .
had always Heard of u mad stone, q
Dut had neither seen one nor found =.
my person who could describe it )
md although / had nearly as much :,
to induce belief as DIR. /
ohnson had for the appearance of 7
yhosts-=namely, "the concurring .
testimony of all nations"-yet was :
still a skeptic, and entertained some =
ioubt of there being such stone. !
My children, however, more credu- :
GUS than myself, insisted upon my :
up the thing and trying !,
Is virtue. To crafty them final :,
v consented, and the next morning
ct out in quest of the far-famcd
tone. took Dallas in my way, :
md presented myself before several
Gthe physicians, who unanimously
,ivised me to have the wound cut |
elt and scarifed. This | deter q
tined TO do but being under pro-
Mise to visit the mad stone, con
cuded to test the thing before i
sbr4itted to the operation. Upon {
eduiry, found that. everybody =
ould tell me the neighborhood in
which the stone could be found, But .
n one could give me the name of :
tls owner.
went to the settlement where
tn stone was said to be, and there T
evry body seemed to know that j
thre was such a stone somewhere '
an,hg them, but no one could name 4
thtpossessor. In this way l rode Z
haf all day in pursuit Of a thing ,
thS. like the rainbow, seemed 20 !
el1fs my grasp, until evening, firm g
II Snvinced in my own mind that J
thss was no such thing il exist