The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-04-29
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A Tum0T eine6l4ted through the
stTsets On ysstsrd4yNtilat . MAJ xk9
had been bitten ~ . ~fsr0eiOus dog, VAS
q victim Of that king Of human ~terrOns,
hydrOph0bia, and was suffering untold
agOnieA IL Was further said that the
victim was confined in = room Of the
Pioneer hook and ladder house and
guarded securely that he might not
communists the disease 70 others.
Remembering the journalistic rule that
% per cent. may safely be shorn on
rumors, the LEADER hired man inyes-
tigated the ease at leisure, and again
proved the rule 10 lie true.
We FIRST went 70 the Pioneer hook
and ladder house and found a young
man lying In q bed situated in b room
to the rear Of the main room. The
apartment Is very comfortable, being
well earpeted and furnished. The
young mans name Is BENJAMIN Van
dyke, a member OF the Pioneers, and a
painter In the employ Of the Cheyenne
carriage works. There was an attend
ant present, and In reply 10 a question
he said Vandyke was merely suffering
with blliOusness. Yandyke lay awake.
but did not speak. He was calm,
though he seemed TO DO doing some
very vigorous thinking Seeing that
the attendant did not wish to speak OF
the case, went 10 the Office Of DIR. G..
W.. Corey, the attending physician, for
n history Of the 81 The doctor was
affable aud accommodating, rs usual,
and we soon obtained the desired
facts.
The history Of the case dates back to
last Thanksgiving day. On that day
Vandyke and a young friend were
scufiing In play, when a dog, belonging
to Stephen Bon, bit vandyke, innict-
ing a seyere flesh wound. lie called
on DIR. Corey for treatment and the
wound healed nicely in good time.
That Is all there was OF IL SO far as
the fact itself extends. But in the
mind Of young Yandyke there lurked
the horrible suspicion that SO long rs the
dog that had bitten him lived he was
in danger Of contracting hydrophobia,
for once the dog ''went mad'' his cake
was dough. The suspicion grew alarm
ingly until It filed his entire thoughts
and crowded out all other subjects.
The hallucination completely possessed
him. What mental agony he has suf-
fered since the infiiction Of the wound,
none but himself knows. Ills friends
and fellow workmen endeavored TO
dissuade him from the subject, and DIR.
Corey also talked with him, but TO no
purpose. The young man voluntarily
surrendered himself as a martyr TO
superstition.
After months OF mental suffering 1t
is not strange that Vandyke should
look upon every slight physical ailment
as a dread omen OF hydrophobia. Ills
thoughts and feelings indeed, were
sufficient to produce disorders, and they
may have caused In a measure. u slight
bilious attack on Tuesday afternoon.
Vandyke was suddenly afflicted with a
slight dizziness,-a circumstance not
unnatural to n bilious person-and,
dreading that the hour of disease had
come, ''lost his grip and tainted
away.
When he returned TO consciousness
he stoutly maintained that he had n.y.
drophobia. He was taken to his room
In the Pioneer house and DR.. Corey
sent for. The doctor took in the situ-
alton and prescribed accordingly. He
endeavored to talk the strange notion
Of illness out OF young Vandyke, but he
stubbornly held to the idea. Then the
recommended that the dog be
killed in order that Vandyke's mind be
relieved. This was accordingly done
ny roiicenhah ihomason, anu Vahuyhe
Informed OF the fact. Since That time
the young man seems to rest more cas-
ny III us mihu' anu MS conol''oh II
improving In consequence. He was
very ..feverish for n time yesterday and
drank w,,er frae,v n fact tIat d,snels
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