Daily Republican., 1879-10-01
Dean W. Dogs.
For the Daily Republican.

For the daily hepupucan.
MEssRs, EDIroRs:-I have on hand |
case that may be Of much interest Z
farmers generally and ! take thi
method of bringing it to their attention
through the columns of your paper, as
want to get II before the greatest mum
ber Of our citizens and as you state II
your paper "That you have the larges
circulation Of any paper in the State
I have devoted my farm to sheep hus
bsndry and am trying to make 1t pay
It may be said this is personal mat
ter Of my own which l do not deny
vet mine is the case Of every person
who may want to engage in the sam'
business, and there ars many - aul
county, One of the greatest dificul
ties TO be encountered is the annoy
ance of a lot of worthless dogs getting
into my fields and running, soaring
sometimes wounding, and killing my
sheep. To avoid this have tried va
rious means to protect my property by
destroying the dogs with rifle and
"shot-gun' snd other equally effec
tive methods.
There is not 50 much difficulty tt
protect them in day time when | an
about and can see them, but they
prowl about the whole night long and
commit their depredations when we are
in bed and asleep. Many of these dogs
are kept by persons who scarcely have
food enough for themselves and Fam
lilies, their dogs are half starved and
have to look to stealing to get living
| have never undertaken TO kill any
dog that was not upon my property, ,anc
in most cases among my sheep, yet DJ
this course I have brought down upor
me that class of persons who keep these
half. starved dogs. l have authorized
my employees to shoot or kill all dogs
found upon my farm and ! take the
responsibility Of the same. In doine
this nv son Is charged with woundine
a dog by shooting it through the iee
(that ia what the owners say) for which
nv son was summoned to appear before
ESQUIRE Springer, Of Newark, ACCORDING
to the summons to answer for debt o.
s2O.
On his appearance before the magls'
trate and asking to have the charge
read upon which he was to be tried nj
found out that it was for shooting
dog. He then asked for q non-suit on
the ground that he had been summon
ed to answer for a debt OF s2O. He ""'
iected to being summoned for Oh" cause
and tried for another, and after navlng
his objections entered upon the docket
left the Office when the magistrate pro-
ceeded with the trial. Thomas smitn
was sworn and sad: "Know Robert
Gregg, also joseph Dsap, Jr., was trim
ming hedge for VIM. Dean saw Joseph
coms out v itn a gun saw dog IN the
field the dog had got into Mrs. Hiil's
ward and could not see It; saw a doe
yu., could not identity it as dregg's dog;
afterwards saw wounded dog at Gregg's;
but would not take my oath that 1t was
the dog that Joseph shot" .
Upon this evidence the magistrate
gave Judgment for $40 and costs against
Joseph Dean, Jr. No fault is found as
to the paying of damages If the law
iustities it, but | do want decis-
ion from our own court upon the matter
SO that we may no just how far farmers
can 90 in protecting their property IN
sheep. The question comes up nave
farmers any protection for their sheep
from destruction by dogst Wo nave
in the State Of Delaware 700, 600 acres
of uncultlvated land which might be
appropriated to sheep husbandry from
which revenue of over a million OF
dollars annually might be obtained for
our people, were it not for fear OF the
destruction of their sheep by dogs
which deters farmers from engaging IN
the business. -, A..
When will our Legislators have the
moral courage that is required to pass
a Law that will give the same protec-
tion to sheep that is given to other
branches of productive industry from
the decision of Esq. Springer in my
Sons case, there will be an appeal TO
our Superior Court, and after the case
has been decided by that Honorable
body. we shall know how far we can go
to protect our property in sheep, or
whether this branch Of farming inter
est in our State will have to he aban-
doued. Our interest at present In TINS
line is at the mercy of lot OF half
starved worthless dogs, owned in many
cases by persons worth even less than
their dogs. Respect'y, WV. DEAN