Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-02-02
PET BURGLAR ALARMS
WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO SLEEP
WITH ONE EYE OPEN.

vice.
81 do not train dogs to watch for burglars,
said fancier, ''but some of them that ar
well bred are led to do it by their natura
sagacity and force of character They may
not perform the duty with the desperate en-
ergy that is shown by the Witty brown cul
with the long tail and the black patch ovel
his eye, but they will do it well enough tt
answer every reasonable expectation. Thai
bull terrier you see there now, weighing
about thirty-fve pounds, with the undershot
jaw and ugly enough to be put into cham
Der of horrors anywhere, might be wide
awake when robber is squeezing his body
through the pantry window, but he would
make no effort to stop the mans entry: but
once in the fellow would have hard work to
get out again.
''It is not easy to say what the bull terrier
will do with the prisoner when he has him at
his mercy. 1t depends largely upon the ami.
mails previous general mot speciaD training.
Certainly the man will have no voice in the
matter, unless he howls to the inmates of the
| house for protection, which is really the
wisest course he could take, though he sell
dom chooses it. A personal encounter hand
to tooth would be a forlorn hope indeed, and
| the possession of a pistol gives fewer adj
vantages than you might think. The drawing
| OF the weapon would precipitate the conflict
The bull terrier is brute hard to kill, and a
| mere wound only adds to its ferocity. Then
the combatants are too close together to al
low of the effective use of revolver, and a
throat grip which the dog may get at once,
and is almost sure to secure in a few seconds,
will very quickly place the robber where
pistol, though it would probably be dis
charged before the trigger was pulled, will
do him no good.
''The dog is not going to disturb the family.
He is a sentinel who can watch without MAX
ing everybody else watch, too. Daylight, he
thinks, will be quite time enough for those to
whom he owes allegiance to inquire into the
merits of the case, and the only serious ques-
ton that arises is: VIII the burglar be able to
take his proper place in the investigation?
Or, in other words, returning to the original
proposition What is the bull terrier going to
do with him?
SEVERAL ILLUSTRATIONS.
''I know of three cases in which distinct
answers were given to that question. The
head of a family was warned by his butler
that he had noticed some suspicious looking
men prowling about the rear of the house,
and would respectfully suggest that the silver
ware be sent to the vaults of a safe deposit
This advice was given after business hours,
but the gentleman determined to avail him.
self OF it on the following day. Meanwhile
he borrowed a big unamiable bull terrier
from the butcher and neglected to mention
the fact to the butler. Nobody in the upper
regions of the house was disturbed that night,
for the work down stairs was done in silence.
The next morning the dead body of the butler
was found lying ON the floor of the pantry
with the dog crouching beside it. The mans
throat was torn out and some of the family
jewelry was in his pockets. The silverware
was placed so that, had he not been inter
rupted, he could have quickly and easily
handed it to his confederates, whose footprints
were stamped upon the clay beneath the win
dow. He had warned his master in order to
prevent suspicion from falling upon himself,
but he had not taken the bull terrier into his
calculations.
"Then l knew an old lawyer who was
aroused before daybreak by roars for help in
the hall, and going down stairs found a bur-
glar sitting on a marble top table, and
fierce eyed bull terrier, that friend of mine
had given him as fee for defending law
suit, gazing at him from the floor
"And, again, | once sold a fine bull terrier
to an elderly lady, who, distrusting servants
and living all alone in her house, thought
she needed such protector. Coming down
to light the fire one morning, she was horri-
fed to find her dog grimly watching burly
ruffian in the kitchen.
"'If you please, marm,' said the man, touch
ing his cap as she entered, L amt took
nothin' yet. That ere wild beast O. yourn
would tore me to small bits if l had. He's
been keepin' his eye on me, marm and if
I'd stirred step he'd been at me. I've put
IN a most uncommon nasty night, marin,
and do hopes you won't be hard on me-
"She was not hard upon him. She gave
him his breakfast and allowed him to 90 un-
molested. Then she came around to my |
place with the dog and sold him back to me |
1t half price, saying that if l had told her he |
was 50 remorseless a brute she would never
have allowed him into her house at all.
THE MOST USEFUL DOG.
"The fact is, no watchdog is of the slight
est use to lady. If he barks and arouses
ler she is far more terrified than the thieves,
md when he does his work silently he is not
he social companion she cares to have in her
1oudoir. She has stated her needs to me
)lUeu enough NHtIl Sis CeIHe 10 purchase |
BET. What she wants is soft, silky little
elbow, who will sleep as soundly as she does
lerself, and not provoke the burglars by
making any unseemly disturbance
s'But for persons who would rather risk an
with thieves than loose their goods,
well bred, rough haired terrier, weighing
bout twelve pounds, makes capital house
protector He is likely to be full of intelli-
,ence, and will not give an alarm without
ause If he hears noise he will thoroughly |
investigate it before he barks No passing
ootsteps, no wind ratified shutters, in fact
othing but an absolute attempt to get, felo-
iously, into the house, will induce him to
rouse the inmates. If his suspicious are
Weakened he will go, very quietly, from door
0 door, and from window to window, sniff
ng softly at each, and ascertain the exact
tate Of affairs Then if his voice is heard it
time for everybody to get up. The rob-
ers will always certainly run away when
hey hear him, but if there is any 'unpleas-
ntness the dog may be trusted to do his full
hare of the work, though he could not UNDER
AXE it alone. Such dog should never be
lowed to fraternize with strangers or to
Ike food from unaccustomed hands, though,
robably, his disposition will not lead him to
0 SO. but poisoned meat surreptitiously
lrown over the fence is great aid to bur-
lars. r-San Francisco Examiner.
An Explanation.
USae here waiter how Is it that find q