The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-09-28
Catching a Tartar.

gaclty TO be illustrated at the footliQhts
as 1t has been for years in the highly
spiced literature of youth. but rarely
does tale or tragic situation supply more
dramatic action or more heroic actor
than real life did the other night in this
city. There is a cozy little house at No.
465 West Twenty-frst street, which for
some time has been occupied by Mrs.
A, j. Manson and her daughter. Both
are ladies of culture and refinement,
given to study and artistic occupations;
and, living alone as they did, with only
couple of domestics in the house, they
found guard and protector in their dog
"Rex." Rex is q thoroughbred En-
glish mastiff, two years old. He has O
great, sinewy body, covered with short
brown hair, and his teeth are fitted for
making fearful havoc. He is greatly at
tached to his mistress, and is ever on
the alert for any harm that may threat
en- her, q watchfulness which week
ago was of great avail. The residence
OF Mrs, Manson, facing the grounds of
the Theological Seminary, adjoins q
house with seoond-story balcony. An
expert climber could readily reach her
window, aud by the use of it there Is
reason to believe burglar, or perhaps
couple, made an entrance into the
house on the morning of the 4th inst.
1t was about half-past three O'Clock.
Mrs. Manson was sleeping in her bed
chamber on the top floor, where the
rooms of her daughter and the servant
girls are also located. The weather was
close, and through the open doors the
Watchdog, Rex, could move at will.
When he growled deeply and moved
across her room this morning Mrs. Man.
son was aroused. Rex was upright and
listening. Again came the Tow, sullen
growl, and she presently heard him
slipping down the stairs.
Unmlndtul Of mischief she was COM
posing herself to rest, when g dreadful
scream Of agony came up from the
room underneath, and the ladv in a
furry hurried out to the hallway and
down the stairs. She first believed one
of the servants had gone down and
been startled by the dog, but as she
reached the end of the flight figure
appeared at the door of the second floor
front room, which speedily showed her
the true state of affairs. A man was
there, stranger, with uncovered head
and frightened face. The gaslight
burning dimly in the hallway showed q
close cropped head fixed on thick
neck, with q tlorid, mustached face.
over grayish shirt was o black cuta-
way coat, and he wore dark pantaloons.
Evidently surprised by the dog In pill
Laying the place he had turned to flee,
when the grip of the mastiff upon his
hand evoked that cry of pain. The
member was bleeding now. The door
knob he let 90 was red. In a twinklinp
he had reached the stairs and was de-
scending. But Rex, Us cunning as
he, was at his heels, and gathering up
for bound he drove his great tawny
body against the flying burglars shoul-
derS.
The man went down as if struck by a
club and rolled head over heels to the
bottom, where he lay Il moment dazed,
with the mastiff's body on his breast
and teeth in his flesh. The fall had
stunned him, but he was quickly recalled
to consciousness, and in dreadful wav.
Rex had seized him by the jaw. The
feet armed with sharp nails tore his face.
The canine fangs reached the bone.
Mrs. Manson, bravely following the
fugitive, heard that dreadful crunching
and her WOman'S heart was sickened.
"Don't, ReX!" she called, "Don't!"
The enraged mastiff, mindful of his
mistress voice, drew back, and the hap
less burglar, who had been desperately
fighting with his fists and utterng fear
tul means, made use of his chance.
With an oath he struggled to his feet
and sprang down the basement stairs,
with the mastiff after him. The kitchen
is at the back, with the washtubs on one
side and door at the end opening on
the yard. He had reached the latter,
but the dog tearing at him again COM
PEELED him to put his back against it
and fight with might and main. Mrs.
Manson found him so when she entered.
1t was dark downstairs, but the gray of
early dawn enabled her to see both the
contestants. Without a moments hesi-
tation the stout-hearted lady advanced,
but the fugitive, cowardly in his pain
and evaporation, sprang at her and
dealt her couple Of blows In quick sue
ceSsion. The scOundrel's fist drove her
head back, and tie second time it struck
her full on the chest and knocked her
bruised and half-stunned to the floor.
A third blow was coming when Rex,
who had to dash around the table to get
at the man, gripped him by the arm.
lie turned away with cry, shot back
the bolt and vanished through the door
into the yard. Miss Manson, coming
down then after her mother, found the
lady still upon the floor, with her eyes
upturned and barely conscious. She
aroused her, and after securing the door
they went upstairs. Mrs. Manson's
studio, where the dog had made the first
attack, was topsy-turvy. The window
was half opened where the burglar had
tried to get out, but on the floor were
blood. drops, which had fallen from the
hand the mastiff had gripped. In an
inner room was spread in a sheet, ready
for removal, the ''swag" of the night
various sealskin robes. some sets of furs,
an eight hundred dollar shawl, various
pieces of silverwarc, with eighteen linen
sheets and the dresses of the servants.
The whole was valued ut several thou
sand dollars.
While the ladies and the frightened
servants wore setting things to rights
Miss Manson, going to close the shut.
ters. heard bush in the corner of the
yard rustnng. AS she glanced toward
1t she saw in the wan light mans body
rise above the wall and 90 over it. In