Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-20
BUTTONED BY CTS.
The Police Disclaim Responsibility
for All the Dogs Killed.
CORONER BERRY TALKS A LITTLE
About the Care to be Taken in Distributing
the Poison.
ONE THOUSAND CANNES ARE CORPsES

There is an armistice to-day between the
police and the dogs. The order has gone
.orth that the cur with a good appetite and
unbounded faith shall not be enticed to his
death by the presentation of tempting
piece Of beet in which is concealed more
strychnine than is absolutely necessary for
seasoning. The police have put away their
little buttons, but tomorrow they will take
them out again, and the Penn avenue and
East End district has been selected as the
scene for another general engagement.
The records Of the police show that over
1000 dogs have succumbed to fate since the
crusade was inaugurated. This number does
not include those animals that passed
through the portals of the grave at the sug-
gestion of tired neighbors who had sought
for rest but found it not because the ami
mails had persisted in choosing the silent
watches of the night to express their feel
ings on the dog law and other matters of in
terest to them.
Acting Coroner Berry had his attention
called to the fact yesterday that child had
picked one of the poisonous buttons off the
street, and was asked, in case death re-
suited, who would be held responsible.
PLACING THE RESPONSIBILITY.
Coroner Berry said: "Whoever placed the
button on the street would be held response
BILE for the death of human being caused
by the act. As understand it, citizens are
not supposed to have these buttons in their
possession, and believe there is a law
against it. II the button is placed on the
street by police officer it is his duty to see
that no child gets possession of it He
should watch it until 1t is swallowed by a dog;
and if no dog takes it, he should pick it up
again. In case of death from one of these
buttons charge of criminal negligence
would lie against the person, whether Off
Ger or citizen, who placed the poison where
human being might get it."
Chief Brown, in speaking on this phase
of the subject, said: Each officer has his
instructions to watch the buttons until
they are devoured by dogs. They are not
allowed to throw them around promiscu-
ously. The police are blamed for many
things in this connection that they do not
do. Their duty is to protect the lives and
property OF our citizens, and we see that
they do not overstep the limits of their du-
ty. We have number of complaints about
the dead bodies of dogs lying in lots and
back alleys not being removed, put putrify-
ing and poisoning the air. That is not our
fault
THE CITIZENS BUTTON.
"The great trouble is that many citizens
are using these buttons to crafty personal
malice or from a cruel delight to watch the
throw buttons over fences and give them to
dogs on the street. Now all the killing
done by the police is done between the
hours OF 9 P. NJ. and 6 A. M, and any dog
that dies outside of that time is the victim
Of citizens button. Again, as soon as
dog is killed by an officer he reports it to the
station house, and the body is at once re-
moved by the patrol wagon. The dead
animals are piled in heap at the station |
house, and are removed by the Fallmaster
before A. NJ, thus allowing no time for
the bodies to putrefy.
There have been several instances OF the |
wanton slaughtering OF dogs brought to my
notice. One man living on the hill had nine |
animals, and to insure their safety,
kept them in his cellar. Some one came |
through the cellar window. Superintendent |
Baker, of the Bureau of Health has little |
pet dog which he keeps in his back yard.
Yesterday Mrs. Baker thought she saw a |
mans hand under the fence, and went out |
and placed board against the hole. 1t |
was too late. Fido was dead in five min
utes. We are not responsible for ali the |
dogs that are poisoned"
ToRTURING A DOG.
Agent Bergman will tomorrow investi-
gate case of cruelty to dog that occurred
on last Tuesday in the East End. The cru
sade against the dogs had injected some of
the boys to such an extent that they felt
called upon to kill such animals as they
thought would make submissive victims.
A crowd of boys, assisted by man or two.
fired six shots into poor brute and beat it
with sticks until they had extracted all the
fun they wanted. The dog then was allowed
70 crawl away and hide under shed, where
it has lain ever since. The wife of a we'll
known East End physician interlered un-
in its behalf