The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-06-14
A DOG GONE WOMAN
MRS BERGEAN,S INSANE PASSION FOE
MONGRELS.


Superstition That Dogs Would BrIns
Luck Induces n GrsenvIIIe Woma n
TO Make - Dog Pound OF Her Home
There is row of pleasant little cottages
on Waverly street in Greenville. They
look like the residences of hard working
mechanics who take pride in their homes
The building at the extreme end of the
street near the Bay Shore is not as large
and as roomy as the others, but it is moi
an Unlocking place for one of its size.
There are bit three rooms in it. Two OF
these are sleeping apartments; the other is
a Giving" room-a dining room, kitchen
and sitting room all in one. Its exterior is
white and clean, but the yard around it
shows signs of neglect. a
It was here that Mrs. Bergman, the dog
fancier, lived till she was taken to the asy-
lum at Snake Hill on Thursday. She kept
a fancy store in Brooklyn. Subsequently,
she opened an unpretentions establishment
of the same kind in Greenville, but soon
gave it up. Her husband is teamster in
the employ of the Doetwillers, the fire.
works manufacturers. The couple never
had any children, and some years ago took a
little girl for adoption. The child lived
with them until, as she says, Mrs. Berg
man began to abuse her, and three years
ago she went to live apart from her foster
mother. Like her foster father she is now
employed in Doetwillers' factory. She said
yesterday to representative of the TATTLER
that Mrs. Bergman was alwsys more or less
peculiar. She was not over kind to her
husband-who is an easy going good ma
fraro md 0f fa11 kxrk ~ 81 L
misfortunes, and bore all he had to suffer
at her hands in patience-for the sake of
peace. t
One day his wife led a dog to the house,
Her husband made no protest, but when
within week three or four dogs had been
imprisoned in the cellar he made objection.
Then his wife told him that it was good
luck to have dog follow one home, and
bad luck to drive them away. If he let
her alone he and she would be overrun
with good luck and dogs. They would be-
come rich and prosperous. Fortune would
smile upon them and their happiness would
be complete. Bergman shared the univer-
sal superstition with his wife, but thought
that one dog was all that was needed to
lure the tickle dame of luck to their little
cabin. In spite of all his protests Mrs.
Bergman kept up her hunt for dogs. Never
q strag doy ventured near the house but
the door was open to receive him, and the
woman would go out, in dull times, with
bats of meat in her pocket, and lead them
along by dropping it piece meal at intervals
on her homeward trip. The canine house
hold grew apace, till snarling, yelping,
barking, whining lot of ours, of all degrees
of fairness and leanness, and all grades in
the social station, and of every shade, with
tails and without them, sleek dogs and
shaggy dogs. had been gathered beneath
the roof. Every new dog meant, of course,
fresh protest from the easy natured
husband, but he was quickly over
ridden, and the animal was finally
installed as a part of the household. At
last Mrs. Bergman assured him that the
object of her desires had been reached.
She had twenty 1--we dogs in her possession.
If they were not enough to insure good
luck, there was no use striving after it
longer. The constant confuse of the
canine population in the cellar disturbed
Bergman's slum6ers, but he half shared
his wifes superstition, and bore it all pa
tiently till the half-starved brutes began to
die Then the stencil called him to his
senses. There must be an end of it.
Either the dogs or lie would have to 90, and
lag W do ouAO Az WOuAA 14Ot 10 A0. u0 WIG
broke into passion. He should not drive
her pets out. He was equally determined
to do it. He opened the cellar door to
carry his threat into execution. Mrs.
Bergman whistled them to her side. and
set the whole pack on him. Fifteen Of the
brutes snapped at his heels as he fed pre-
cipitately to the sidewalk.
On the advice of his friends he called
DR.. Converse to inquire into his wife's
mental condition. The County Physician
pronounced her insane. and her removal to
Snake Hill was the result. Policeman
Bose was sent to clean out the kennel.
The decaying carcasses of seven pups lay
on the floor. Fifteen live brutes were
smelling around the angles in the wall for
scraps of food. Bose fastened them to a
beam in the cellar, and with well directed
shots dispatched them all.
Gleenville is great place for dogs
There is another house where there are
thirteen, and in another there are dozen
or more.