Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-11-08
A FAITHFUL AND NOBLE DOG


town of Eldred, Penn, was known
Throughout the northern oil fields for
its great strength and almost human
intelligence. Theporter ofthe hotel,
a kindhearted but incorporate per
son, was an especial fayorite with
the dog. The porter, small man,
slept in little room back of the
Office. On Thursday night the porter
was very drunk when he went to
bed, and soon fell into heavy sleep.
Sometime in the night he was awak-
ened by the loud barking Of Heck,
who was jumping frantically on the
lporter's bed and seizing the pillow
with his teeth. The still drunken
and drowsy porter tried to make the
dog go away, but the animal persisted
in hR efforts, and it finally dawned
on the befuddled mind of the porter
that the house was ON fire. His
room was full of smoke, and he could
hear the cracking of the flames.
He sprang from bed, but was still so
drunk that he fell to the floor. The
faithful dog at once seized him by
the coat collar, the porter not having
removed his clothing on going to
bed, and dragged him out Of the
room and half way to the other door
Of the Office, when the man succeeded
in getting to his feet and unlocking
the door, staggered to the street.
The fire was rapidly spreading over
the building, and the hotel was filed
with guests, not one of whom had
been aroused. The dog no sooner
saw that his helpless friend was safe
than he dashed back into the house
aud ran barking loudly up stairs.
He first stopped at the door of his
masters room, where he howled and
scratched at the door until the in
mate was made aware OF his danger
and hurried out of the house, as
there was no time to lose. The dog
gave the alarm at every door, and
/ in some instances conducted the
guests down stairs to the outer door,
each one of these, however, being
strangers in the house, which fact
the dog seemed to understand in
looking out for their safety.
All the inmates of the house
seemed to have lost their heads in
the excitement, and it is said that
the hotel dog alone preserved com.
plete control of himself, and alone
took active measures to save the in
mates of the house. In and out of
the burning building he kept con-
tinually dashing, plotting some half
dressed man or woman down stairs
only to at once return in search of
others. Once lady with child in
her aims tripped on the stair while
hurrying out and fell to the bottom.
The child was thrown on the floor in
the hall some distance away. The
woman regained her feet and stag
CARED IN dazed way out off the door,
leaving the child in the midst of the
smoke that was pouring from the
office door. The brave dog saw the
mishap, and, jumping in through the
smoke, seized the child by its night
clothes and carried it safely out
Notwithstanding this rescue the mis-.
hap that made it necessary led to
the death of the noble animal. The
mother of the child on being restor-
ed by the fresh air, first became
aware that her child was not with
her, and crying out wildly that can
ma was burning up in the house p
made dash for the building as if
to rush through the flames to seek
her child. Heck had already brought
the little one out, but it had not vet
been restored to its mother. The
dog saw the frantic rush of the
mother toward the burning building,
and heard her exclamation that some
Que was burning up in the house, and
although the building was now a
mass of smoke and flames inside and
out, the dog sprang forward and, as
a dozen hands seized the woman and
held her back from her insane at
tempt to enter the house, disappear
ed with a bound over the burning
threshold. The faithful animal
never appeared again. His remains
were found in the ruins.
There is no doubt in any ones
mind that but for the intelligence
and activity of Heck the fire 10 the
hotel would not have been discovered
in time for single inmate 70 have
escaped from the building, and that
the noble animal understood from
the half crazed movements OF the
child's mother that there was still
another one IN danger, and to rescue
whom he gave his own life, is accept
ed as certain. The remains of Heck
were given fitting burial, and his
loss is regretted as that of a nseful
citizen mipht no