Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-04-27
HydrOphobia From q Cats Bite.
SHOCKING DEATH-THE CAT BITES
A HORSE AND IN TURN BITES
MAN,

A SHOCKING DEATH-THE CAT BITES
A HORSE AND IN TURN BITES A
MAN.
&C., &C., NC.
On the I'd of January last, Robert M.
Dickie, of New York, only 1Syears OF age,
while at work in plumbers shop. heard
a faint sound as of an animal in distress.
Then he went out through the deep snow
in the yard, and found a lean black and
white cat, mewing in it's distress. He
took it in his arms, and, in twinkling,
the cat turned upon him and stuck Its teeth
into his thumb and clutched his coat
sleeve with it's claws. He tried in vain to
loosen the cats hold, and then, Selling it
with his other hand by the neck, tried to
choke it. Still the cat chung to him, its teeth
in his thumb, and it was not until he had
crushed the life out of it that he released
himself He went into the shop, the blood
from the wound covering his hand, and ths-
frightened workmen babe him hurry to the
nearest drug store. He did so, and there
his wound was carefully cauJerized. H.
went back to work, and in a day or two
forgot the encounter with the cat. The
N. Y. sSun" says
Soon afterward it was learned that the
cat had bitten a horse belonging to MIR.
Cartwright, fish dealer, at Third avenue
and Thirty-fifth street. 1t was also ascer-
tanned that Mr.. Samuel Richardson, the
dwarf, who lived in chamber over the
plumbing shop, and who died week or
two ago of what the physicians called
Fright was bitten through the hand by
the same cat on the evening preceding
the day on which Dickie was attacked.
The cat was a stranger in the neighborhood
and the results Of the wounds that it had in
fiicted were awaited with great interest
Soon the horse was seized with violent
spasm S. his limbs became cold, the mus
Giles con tracted, and he tore at and bit the
sides of his stall. The physicians pro-
nounced it case of hydrophobia. After a
sickness of u short time the horse died in
agony. Not long after this, Richardson
began to act strangely and became greatly
troubled and excited. He grew worse, and
al length was confined to his bed. He died
OIL the Sth inst.
After the death of Richardson, Dickie
began to be seriously alarmed. He said
nothing of his fears toany one, but became
morose and uneasy. In his home his fam
over his encounter with the cat, steadfast-
ly avoided all reference to the subject, and
did not speak to him OF the death and bu-
rial of Richardson. But they saw with
apprehension, the growing change in him.
On Saturday morning last he arose at the
usual hour, and saying that he was unWell,
refused to eat his breakfast. He went to
to his business, and in the forenoon did
some plumbing work in Thirty-sixth street.
At noon he went home complaining of a
dull headache and of d lump in his throat
that forbade him swallowing anything.
He vomited all the afternoon until DR.. E.
G.. Rawson relieved him; but the doctor
could not remove the lump from the young
mans throat. Dickie went early to bed
and slept, under the influence of morphine,
which had been hypodermically injected,
as he could not keep either medicine Or
food on his stomach. In the morning he
was no better, and Drs. Rawson and White
were called. They pronounced il a bilious
attack. and said that the trouble in the
throat was produced by swollen tonsils
and Inflammation. On Sunday, Dickie
was exceedingly talkative, rafting on from
one topic to another, and walking restless
ly from enc room to another. This change
from his moodiness Of the preceding days
was welcomed by his family Still he could
6aJ uOIHlIE. CVuiu oWdlloW hCltilC1 Wdtcl
nor medicine, expectorated constantly, and
shuddered at the sight OF water. His nerves
were badly shaken. On Sunday night he
could not sleep. He often asked for water
to clear his throat, and then shuddered
and pushed it away.
On Monday Dickie's symptoms were a
repetition Of those of the preceding day.
He was feyerish and excited, and talked
wildly with his friends. On Monday night
Morphine was injected under his skin, but
he could not sleep after midnight. A
ever he tried to aTlbjs bedside. and when
| upon his couch. He WAS dtlirious and vic
| lent at day5reak, and his father, who stood
! by his bed, was unable to hold him. He
sprang into the middle Of the room AND
| threw the furniture around him. He
sraashs d tie mirror and dashed lamp
| from his bureau 70 the floor. At length
he was put in Il strait jacket and conveyed
in an ambulance to Bellevue Hospital.
Strapped to his cot in whtewashed cell
in Bellevue Hospital. Dickie, lay tossing
Yesterday in the agonies of hydrophobia
His face was flushed, his neck swollen, his
eyeballs were glazed and bloodsh OF, and be
ground his teeth as he struggled to free
himself from his bonds. The kind-flearted
keeper. Mr.. James Connolly, wheeled the
little bed round SO that the sufferer might
looked OUT INTO Ill6 ydfu. II COOl breeze
blew into the cell through the half opened
window, and momentarily the patient be-
came calm. Then he broke into a wild
fury. and tore at his cords. In his agony
his neck became fearfully swollen and in
famed, his face livid, and the foam flew
from his lips and stood in beads. on his
purple lips.
DR.. Griswold, who was treating Dickie
yesterday, pronounced it a case of acute
mania, but was unable to say whether it
was genuine hydrophobia. The doctor
treated him with hypodermiu injections Of
morphine. and with noutishment by means
of enemas. Mr.. David Dickie called to see
his son, and the latter was very violent.
He shouted and teamed at the mouth, and
cried out frequently, Father, you've got
plenty of money, Oh, do something for
me-
At O'Clock yesterday afternoon an at
tendant offered Dickie glass of water.
He looked at it, then took two or three
sips, shudGered, and dashed the glass
aside. He was at once seized with terrible
commissions that followed each other in
rapid succession. His face became of a
CHASTITY yellow hue. AT three O'Clock he
fell into profound sleep that ended In
death at twenty minuter past O'Clock.
A BUNGLING HANGING. Chas. M
Sterling, an account of whose desperate
attempt to escape from prison has been
published, was hung at Youngstown,
Ohio on Saturday. for the murder of