Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-10-10
A DOG-EATING MAN.
The Strange Taste of Fritz Mer-
kle For Canine Meat.

From Phil. Press Sept. Il.
Beneath the thatched roof of vine
powered cottage, nestled lovingly at
the foot of a sloping hillside in Lower
Merton Township, few miles from
Manayunk. lives Fritz Merkle and his
wife. The farmers in the neighbor-
hood call him "dog eating Merkle.' -
He cats not only dogs, but cats. This
taste he acquired from his mother-in-
law, who lives in Germany. where
Fritz himself was born good many
years ago. He formerly kept a tavern
and eating-house in Manayunk, near
the Reading railroad depot. Through
close economy and fortunate specula-
tions in small way, be saved up
enough money to purchase the form
upon which he now lives. He is a
slender built man, with keen brown
eyes, moustache modelled after that of
Bismarck, and o curly head of hair. In
his dress be affects the manners and
customs Of the city folks He is well
known in Manayunk and through the
surrounding country as a dog-eater,
and it is not stretching the line of truth
an inch out of the perpendicular to say
that at least dozen of the choicest,
sleekest, fattest CANNES in the before
mentioned suburb have inhabited, upon
various occasions, in cold, carved sec
tions, his domestic clap-board. Fritz
kills the dogs with his trusty gun,
skins them after the orthodox which
prevails IN slaughtering beef, and then
quarters them. He especially prizes
the hams, or hind quarters, which he
salts, cures, and e8ts with as much
gusto as though the meat In question
were yiel
HOW HE COOKS THEM.
When he gets a fat pup-a New
foundland or plump mastiff or setter
he boils that portion of the anatomy
contiguous to the backbone, reaching
from the ears to the tail, and extracts
therefrom a pale amber-colored oil,
which he pronounces a certain and
speedy cure for consumption, sore
throat and kindred bronchial complaints.
sells large quantities of this oil to
quacks and rural druggists, who dis
pose of it as opportunity offers, at
seventy-fve cents per half pint. From
a canine of average size, he obtains
gallon of the oil. Mrs. Merkle, q
thrifty, buxom matron, who looks Teu-
tonic every inch of her, even with her
mouth shut, cooks the cats and dogs
and superintends the making Of the oil.
A reporter of The Press spent por-
ton of yesterday afternoon with the
queer family, whose home life, when
victuals are not in question, does not
not differ from that of ordinary NOR
tails When the visitor reached the
place Fritz was leaning on the front
gate, mechanically whiting a slip of
willow wood Mrs Merkle was vi
brating between the "shed- kitchen"
and the cellar, busily bottling dogs
oil. A fat Towser lazily slept near
the pump, the picture OF innocent con-
tentment, utterly unconscious OF tho
awful fate in store for him. An at
tenuated roam mare had her gaunt head
poked wistfully out of a hole in the
barn door. A faded sunliower rested
against the weather boarding OF the
kitchen, apparently tired of life. Near
the barn was what proved, upon sub.
sequent inspection, to be bleached
heap of dogs and cats bones. The
reporter dismounted from his stylish
equipage, and giving the cultivated
Jehu on the box cigar with which
to while away the tedious moments,
opened the gate, saluted Fritz and
walked into the dining room. Fritz
followed with wondering eyes The
newspaper man laid silver halfdollar
upon the table and asked for bottle
Of dogs oil, as a medium Of opening
the conversation without exciting
suspicion as to his Identity. what
is this oil good for 2" asked he
"Say, Annie, for vat goot ish dis
oil ?" inquired Fritz of his spouse,
who was just descending into the eel
lar
"For kunshumpshun," replied she.
Glow do you kill your dogs 2" pur
sued the reporter
"Say Annie, how haf We kill 'em ~
again asked Fritz of his spouse.
"Shoot him." was the impatient re-
sponse, from the intermost depth of
the cellar.
They say you eat dogs" said the
visitor, prepared to climb up the chin
ney.
Say, Annie no We eat dog 2" called
out Fritz to Mrs Merkle.
"Dog ish goot," she remarked, her
wrath evidently rising as she began to
ascend the cellar stairs
Mrs. Merklc vouchsaled the informa-
tion that the hams were boiled or fried
and eaten with an abundance of salt
and pepper. She said dog meat was
tolerably tender, with flavor like veal,
yet peculiar withal, and ought to be
eaten by cutting it fine, like a lobster
for salad. The reporter asked Fritz if
he ever eat cats. lie turned to his
wife and asked, "Say, Annie, we have
eat cats ?"
"Um, sometime, yah. Cat ish
goot, too" replied Mrs Merkle, as she
prepared to again descend into the eel
lar.
SERVING A DOG TO BoARDERs.
Mr.. Mcrkle related how, when he
kept a tavern, he had boiled q fine, fat
Newfoundland dog and served him to
bis boarders as veal, and how, when
he told them afterward about the de-
ception, two Of them were taken death
" sick Mrs. Merkle says she likes
cat meat, although it is not $50 goot
ash dog" having flavor more akin to
rabbit The meat of both dog and
cat is dark, that of the former being
tcnderer The meat Of the hindquar-
ters of the cat is especially firm, and
they esteem it tho tidbit of the feline
anatoa.y. Not long age n man living
in Manayunk named Metzler gave
Fritz an old pet-dog called Spot"
Some days afterwards Fritz called and
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