The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-10
HYDROPHOBIA OR HYSTERIA?
CERTAINLY LITTLE JIMMIE STEEBE IS
DYING or UOG BITE
The Dog showed No symptoms Of Madness,
and Was u; Play with - Little NetghhOr
Hoy When u Policeman Came TO Mill Him.

and Was u; Play with - Little Neighhoi
Hoy when y Policeman Came 10 Kill Him.
At 230 Bond street. In Elizabethport. stands
two-story frame house with tho front door
in the rear Around II IL yard In which ut
least dozen children play oil day long. meal
times excepted. When an Irish woman puts
her head out Of the window and calls. Chill
dren!" four Of the youngsters. the youngest
with hair falling In her cycs and Il milk bottle
at her mouth. will run into the house. There
was fifth, but he is over in the hospital at
Elizabeth. dying
This boys name Is Jimmic-,Iimmic Stccbe.
For although his mother is Irish. his father Is
German-Joseph Steebr. Hc is poor man.
hut he thinks Just as much of his eldest boy.
Jimmie. for all that. He says: Il wouldn't
have cared II he'd been killed 10y the engine or
ate outright by tho dog. Bnt to think ~ him
a-being over there a-sufcring and a-going to
suffer worse and worse !"
That Is Just II. Tho cight-year-old boy in
the hospital ia dying Of the bite OF dog. Tho
spasms that wrench and wiring the nerves and
muscles have just begun. To-day and to-,nor-
row. perhaps. he will suffer more and more
kcenly. aud then death will give him relief
The mother and father think It is hydro.
phoba Tho doctors say IL is hydrophobia.
and SO hydrophobia will be the reading OF tho
death certificate.
hut for oil thnt there are some things about
this case which suggest that II IL the same
form OF hystcria which killed Lawyer Richard
Bartine. who had boon bitten by u cat. This
little Jimmie Steobe was In the habit OF run
ming errands for the family Of II mlkman
named John Edgcwood. who lives few doors
further up tho street. As Edgcwood has n
good deal OF stock md a barn full Of hay and
other "a Nf fnH
the yard easy TO be stolen. he keeps
two watchdogs. Ono of these dogs was n
large eur ~ II slate color. short haired and
irasciblc. At night he would lit up his voice
on the slightest provocntion. and would beset
the calves of all strangers who came within
range He was kept chained in the day time.
and was 50 tame that the neighborhood chill
dren who knew him made pet OF him. It
seems that this Jimmie Stcebe was one of the
dogs favortes The afternoon Of July 23
Johnny Edgewood heard the screams OF child
in the BARNARD. and ran from tho barn to SEQ
The slatc-colored dog had broken his chain,
h ,fl set upon Jimmie and. having knocked
him down. was tearing his scalp viciously.
It loose from the child. The child got upon its
feet and ran about, the yard with his scalp
\ nearly torn loose and one ear mangled.. doc
tor was called and in the basement OF Edge
put IN the child,s scalp: Then an ambulance
%onhs sept and wa as' te nor ssn
away cured. His wounds had healed and only
e a., few " sea-. sears hidden BY his hair remained
damages against the Edeewoods.
TO return to the slate-colored dog. As soon
rs rs JG9hp m Edgewocd had PIT the boy in safe
smith l,. came along and decided that The dog
into the yard and found n Ind nameI Johnny
Carter playing with the dog. Little Cartor had
his arms about the dogs neck; and was rolling
Tie das Seemed ms S Ss ssat p snsn
full L,., Little Cart! Garter was called away. and
chain. run into The basement. and hid behind
2 box. Smith. believing the dog was mad. re-
young Ed eeweod reached Behind i the BOX and
dragged the dog out by the scrIfr; The dog
SsRs He seemed
to p9st;; Smith then finished him with an axe.
father and mother They say that they never
dreamed OF such thing as hytlrophobia., They
say they never heard much about 1t. and that
a +hat J Inv abe hsafa hydlSHhGbia talked good
were expecting to hear that the boy was taken
With hydrophobia any day. The doctors say
pressed 81 saeh talk Is TOO young to be i'm
A. any fSste; l%st Tuesday evening: says Mrs
Says she 81 sors
na1 thought nothing q tbs; although her
irst symptom Of hydrophobia. She says her her
husband kept this suspicion to himself: When
she offered him glass Of water, on Tuesday
contracted violently. On Wednesday she
noticed other symptoms. and on Wednesday
do es s %eno the house sarseon
II the hospital. tried to get the boy to take "a
rink. When the boy. rejected It with con-
vas the matter. He called the father outside
md told him; and. amid tears and My Jim;
he had COME ba beors
On Thursday he refused food and drink. He
ay quiet nearly all the time. but, any sudden
n any such thing Would thFow HI m 'U into o'a
rs teeth good deal during these occasional
ONE under medical oL..ervatiop rather earlier
he Doctors. who ali agree as to its bel Being 1
Genuine case Of hydrophobia. are having n |
nance to watch the sympt9ms as they grow |
tr3nger and stronger. Ihey expect death |
Now. i Tie dog was really mad and com
hS madness to the child
title one. Who will die, 50 terribly, But Il the
og was not mad. and It Is well known how
'ew Jersey cats and dogs do 60 mad In pro.
,orion to the number that are. chased and
hot amid great village uptearings. II this |
og is not mad. how much 1t Is to be regretted
hat Ignorance on the part OF ,wcllmeaning
elatiyes and neighbOrs should cause this
ats 9Sy t to !" de- horror OF agony in
The dog certainly showed no symptoms OF
badness. No mad dog was ever hauled tamely l.
bout by the scrufr: No mad dog was ever
nown to let q child play with II and go I'M
armed. Further, the mother says. the child's
rouble began with a pain In his wounded ear
he evidence seems to point to great eXpecta-
ION of hydrophobia in all the surrounding
eize upon the palm as confirmation. And
erhaps. the child heard this cutlery and. being |
t once attacked by hysteria. refused water.