Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-08-20
The Fate Of svitzer,s Family Dog.


Switzer is tender-hearted man, liv-
ing on Croghan street. He had dog.
1t was monster canine, with cropped
ears, stump-tail, and one eye missing,
but the Switzer family loved that dog.
They didn't call him purity" but they
praised him for dog that put away all
high-nosed thoughts and did his best
as family pet. He knew is place and
if he couldn't wag but six inches of
stump when Switzer came home from
his daily toll, they knew that it was
circumstances alone which preve lted.
1t was a beautiful sight to see the
Switzer family seated on the front step
of an evening, surrounded by that dog,
and they never dreamed until the other
day that "Amsterdam'-so they called
him, wouldpass away before whortllber-
berries had fallen to shilling a quart.
Such is life, and perhaps it is just as
well. Early last week this dog-this
Amsterdam-put his teeth into a fat
leg which passed the gate, the owner of
the leg notified the police, and the po-
lice notified Switzer. Amsterdam must
be shot, dubbed, poisoned, or drowned.
Mr.. Switzer's hair rose up, his wife
wept, and the young Switzer hung on
the gate and howled. They tried to
save him by offering half dollar to the
officer, but he shook his head and want
ed to know where that dog was. When
Mr.. Switzer found there was no escape
he said he couldn't bare to have Am
sterdam laid low by stranger. He
would do the cruel work himself, and he
hn 10 hot
would not hurt the victim much. He
sent the little Switzers to the grocer's,
his wife went upstairs: and he tied
rope around Amsterdam's neck and
secured him to shade tree several
blocks from the house. Then he got
club, took off his coat. and the hard
hearted policeman stood to see the law
enforced. When Switzer got ready he
shut his eyes and aimed a blow at the
dogs head. Amsterdam leaped aside,
and Switzer hit the tree and cried "by
dunder !" He tried it again, and Am
sterdam jumped the other way and let
the club and Mr.. Switzer hit the ground
together, while the crowd cried out
and swung their hats. Mr.. Switzer got
mad then, and dashed in and gave
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his feet tangled in the rope, and dog
and man rolled over and over together.
When he got up he chased the dog
around the street, striking at his hind
legs, but in trying to get in an awful
blow he rooted the sod up with his
nose, and the playful dog sat down on
his head. The policeman then offered
his baton, and he held Amsterdam and
told Mr.. Switzer to put in regular old
sockdologer right between the eyes.
His instructions were followed. and Mr..
Switzer hit himself on the knee and
jumped around and shouted: 81 have
pretty near knocked my brains out !"
The officer wanted to shoot the dog
then, but Mr.. Switzer preferred to do
it himself and he took the revolver.
Standing within four feet of Amster-
dam he shot into barn, grazed fence,
nearly hit street car, and was just
about to kill a boy, when the officer
jumped in and with his baton knocked
Amsterdam as cold as hitching post.
Mr.. Switzer stood over the body for a
moment heaved sigh, and then turned
away and said, "Dat's shust de way by
dem police-dey don't care how much
dey hurt dog when dey kill him. -
Dof,o;f Erop Drpee