Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-09-29
SLAIN BY HIS OWN DOG.
The Strange and Thrilling Story Of
a Thiet's Death.
Throttled by Ferocious ruiI-Dog ut the
Window OF Friends House. In
which an Old Woman Lay Ouak.
Ing Under the Bed-Ciothes.
IChicarn uerald.1

fChicago rerald.l
'I was thinking of something that hap
pcned away back in the sos" said little
man with spec acles, as he carved the last
letter or his nam in the top board of a
Sigel street fence. ssft was a strange
thing. and it makes me shudder ta think
OF it.
"Many years ago, say 1870, toll road
led out Of Tittsluich. 1t was lon-,
travel-beaten highway, with ruts on the
sides and a sort OF ravine in the center,
where the hoofs of countless horses had
fallen in years gone by. The toll-gate
keepers house was located several m les
out in the country. 1t was a sm II, two
story affair, with a tall, old-fashioned
chimney running several feet above the
roof. Quaint windows looked out upon
the road at an altitude of about six feet.
The toll-gate keeper and his wife lived
alono in this lonely house. Both were
good people, well along in years. The
road commissioner us d to visit the gate
keeper from time to time for the purpose
Of collecting the money the old man re-
ceived at is gate. If am not mistaken,
he made il n point to call once every four
weeks. One night late in the fan of 1859
the old man rolled a lot of coin out of
bag and began to count it by the light of
the moon, which was shining brightly
through the windows of the house. This
was favori'e pastime of the gatekeeper.
He seemed to take especial pleasure In
lingering and jingling coin in the mellow
radiance of full moon. On this particular
night the old man was counting his re-
ceipts at the gate for a month. The road
commissioner was to arrive from Pitts
turgh the next morning, and the old man,
who was just the least bit shaky lest his
vision should discover something wrong
in the amount collecie |, counted and re-
counted the bright gold and silver and
copper pieces far into the night.
The road commi sioner did not come the
next day nor thu day following. On the
second day after tie da.e SIX ID for his ar
rival the old man was callei away from
home on some pressing bus ness. Before
starting he cautioned his wife to keep
sharp eye on the money. Tho good wom-
an never relaxed her vigilance throughout
that long day. She watched the toll-gate,
scrubbed the kitchen and milked the
cows, but she did not lose sight of the
little leathern bag and its valu-
allie contents. AS the day egan TO wane
the old lady grew nervous. She was alone
in a dismal part of the country. She i'm
agined she saw strange man lettering
about the house, and the least noise
startled her. At last she became SO fright
ened that she locked up the house and sat
on the doorstep in full view of the road.
The neighborhood butcher tramped
through the gate about dusk. He was a
bearded man with little bead like eyes,
set far back in a massive head. He was q
man without culture or brains, but bore a
good repu. atio.., 90 far as honesty went,
among his neighbors. As he passed the
house he was hailed by the oil woman.
who stated to him that, owing to the alb
sence of her husband, she was afraid that
somebody would enter the house that night
and st al the money which was being kept
f-r the collector.
"How much have you gotg" asked the
butcher.
Something over three hundred dollars, %
replied the old woman, in fdgety man
ner.
"Humph!" exclaimed the man, "IIl
bring up my bulldog to keep you com :
pany. With that pup in the house you
need have no fear"
The old woman thanked the butcher for
his courtesy and then went into the house.
She lighted a candle and sat down beside
one OF the windows to knit While she was
thus engaged the butcher raped at the
door and was admitted. A huge, heavy
jawed brute trot:ed in before him.
"Here's your dog" grumbled the butch
er staring out of ore of the windows
through which the moonlight was stream
inS. Hes a good 'un and you needn't be
afraid. Just let him run loose round the
house and I'll call for him in the morn
ing"
1.-THE old clock on the mantelpiece had
tolled the midnight hour with more
solemnity than usual when the old woman
heard a faint noise at one of the windows
OF the room in which she was sleeping. 1t
sounded like the gentle scraping of a
bough of a tree against the side Of the
house. She leaned over the side of the
bed, but could see nothing but the two
BIZ zing eyes OF the ll-dog and
a half-dozen shafts of moonlight
on the floor. The strange, inexplicaLle
noise continued, however. The dog
ut cred a deep sepulchral growl an1
moved up toward the window. The scrap
ing ceased, only to be followed moment
later by a muffi ed thump against the win
dow-sill as though somebody was placing
q ladder in position preparatory to raising
the sash. Seconds were hours to the poor
old woman who lay quaking in the bed.
The dog was growing more restless every
minute, until finally be troke out in a
most doleful but subdued howl. Then the
4 L.
erlet and turned her face toward the WIN
dow. A mans face was pressed against
one of the panes, and two Eig black hands
were grasping the sash. More dead tha Il
alive, the old woman pulled the bed-
clothes ever her head, while her heart beat
distressing accompaniment TO the low
believing Of the brute crouch ing just be-
low the face at the glass.
There was more pickir & and scrapinc
until the sash began to slide upwa, d
Then there was most fearful roar es-
capped frcm the dog as he ieaped into the
open window. There was a struggle. O
cry of pain, and then both beast and man
fell TO the ground. Unable to bear up un-
der the strain, tho old woman leaped out
OF bed. and. unbC lting the front door, fed
down the road in her nj. ht d. ess. Neigh
bors living a short distance from her
house heard her cries, and hurried out
with lanterns and torches. When they
reached the toli-gate house they found
the dog with his teeth buried in the neck
OF man who was lying upon his back on
the ground. When the light from the
lanterns and torches fell upon the fellows
white face there was cry of horror. The
would-te thief was the butcher, and he
had teen kiliel by his own dog. He had
reckoned that the brute would recognize
hir1 when he entered the house, and
WOuld offer NO resistance 70 Efx theft III
the money. The dog was q dog, how
ever, and he did his work we'll"