The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-02-23
IHterCiesU scitIt a Man Who Claim s
to Hare Been Bitten 6y
a Mad Dog.
Indianapolis Journal

IHterCieaC sCitE a Man Who Claims
to Hare Been Bitten 6y
a Mad Dog.
Indianapolis Journal
A Journal reporter yesterday started
out in quest of James Walters, who was
supposed to be suffering from that dread
disease, hydrophobia. The reporter was
directed to cabin situated about half a
mile north of the Insane Asylum, and
the place was found without much diff
Guilty. He expected to find veritable
madman, tied down to an iron bedstead
with cable, and when he knocked at
the door it was with misgiving and hes
itancy. His knock was answered by
tall, lank man with a shock of black hair
and frame that could belong to none
but thoroughbred Hoosier. The Wis
itor was politely invited to come in and
take seat, and he did so, stating his er-
rand at the same time.
" Waal," said the lanky man, az guess
Pm the man you're looking for. My
names James Walters"
Were you bitten by a mad dog?'
inqired the reporter.
"That's what they say" was the re-
sponse.
The reporter intimated that he had
expected to interview corpse, and was
agreeably disappointed to learn that he
was not to have that sad duty to perform.
Mr.. Walters facetiously remarked that
he couldn't think of dying while money
was SO tight and before the Presidential
difficulty was settled. He then got
down to business, and related the cir
cumstances surrounding the case at point
He went into the minutest of detail,
and described how and why he chanced
to be at John Martins farm house two
weeks ago Thursday morning. He went
over on a neighborly cali, and while
there proceeded to an Joining field to
inspect the sheep, chic iens, and other
livestock. 1t was while enjoying this
scene, SO inspiring to rural eyes, that
Mr.. Martins dog gathered him by the
ankle and commenced chewing on it."
"The attack was unprovoked," said
Mr.. Walters, and I guess I used "a few
oaths, didn't II" and he turned to Mr..
John Martin, who occupied chair near
at hand, "but the thing hurt scandal
ously, and don't think it'll count"
The narrator then went on to give an
photographed sketch covering the
time from the Thursday in question until
last Saturday. The wound had healed
up in that time, but on Saturday pains
began to shoot through his body origin
ating in the bitten ankle and extending
clear up to his neck. The day follow
ing the pain grew worse, and he had
symptoms of lockjaw. DIR. Porter, of
Mount Jackson, was called in, and gave
prescription which did no good, and on
Monday about noon he was attacked
with commissions.
Mr.. Walters had no very clear recol-
lection of what occurred for the next two
or three days, but from what he had
gathered from those who did know, he
feltjustifed in making the statement that
he was bad, very bad. Mr. Martin was
one of the neighbors who had remained
with him through all his trouble, and
from him it was learned that the patient
had growled, and barked, and tried to
chew up the bed clothes during the con-
tinuance of his spasms, and it required
the combined strength of six or seven
men to hold him down. The convulsions
the first day lasted from two o'clock in
the afternoon until six o'clock in the
evening, at which time he succHmbed to
the effects of a powerful hypodermic in
lection of morphia, his muscles relaxed,
his breathing became natural, and he ap-
peared quite rational, though very weak.
He talked intelligently with those about
him. 1t is related that during the
spasms, which followed each other in
quick succession, Walters frothed at the
mouth, but no mention is made of an
aversion to water.
He remained in rational frame of
mind until toward morning, when he
again came under the dread influence,
and for five or six hours he was tortured
with terrible convulsions, which in
creased in violence until his physician
gave him up and pronounced his recovery
hopeless. The morphia again produced
an effect, however, and few hours later
he was again apparently sane and tran
quill, though, as before, extremely faint,
and almost dead from sheer exhaustion.
A close watch was kept upon him, but
fortunately there was no return of par
oxisms or any of the symptoms of hy-
drophobia, and the patient continued to
grow better and stronger, and when our
reporter visited him he was sitting up
apparently on the high road to recovery.
He is positive that he has passed
through a genuine case of hydrophobia,
and expresses fear that the experience
of last Monday and Tuesday may be re-
peated ere long. Mr.. Martin can not
believe the rabies theory, and to show
that he has no fear, he has not even fast
tened up the dog, which is still allowed
to run round with the children and other
members of the household. The brute
is cross, and has bitten four children
within the past month"; but none of them
except Mr.. Walters has experienced
much inconvenience from the bites.
The new Episcopal Church edifce
(Trinity) Boston, which has beer