The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-07
TERRIBLE DUEL.
Frightful Struggle Between a
Man and IA FerociOus Dog.

NEW YORK. May 31.-A terrible duel was
fought between IL All and bulldog on top
of the building situated at 1871 Blocker
street Friday morning, says a New York
dispatch to the Philadelphia Item. About
half-past o'clock i'll the morning Of May
31st David LOngfellow, stalwart young
man some 30 years OF age, was passing along
Bleecker street, when man hailed him and
asked him IL he wanted job.
This was just what Longfellow did want,
and soon he was busily engaged in cleaning
away an accumulation of old cigar boxes,
beer-eoxes and general debris that Uttered
the roof OF the building in question.
LOngfell0w had been at work getting the
dirt and debris on the ROOF into one big pile
preparatory to carrying it to the street
below, Tor about an hour, when he was in
terrupted in his work by long, loud gr0wl,
evidently made by an angry dog. He looked
up quickly from his work and saw big
brindle bulldog standing between him aud
the scuttle, and gazing at HIM with wicked,
inQuiring look. LongfellOw looked around
for a weapon, but he could ind nothing with
which to defend himself. He had I'M ortu-
nately broken all the boxes and loose boards
on the roof into small pieces, none OF which
was large enough to be OF use in fight with
the dog.
That such a conflict must come Longfel-
low CUulu Stcs lIOln INC RIOMIS Ol the uOB,
which were growing flercer and mercer every
moment His situation, he saw, too, was a
desperate one. Ii G was penned In on all sides,
for even If he could have clambered over
the roof ratings IL was certain death to jump
To the street below. With the courage born
of desperation LOngfellow decided to face
the angry dog. Quickly Wrapping his left
arm in his coat and gras plug thin splinter
OF wood with the idea of trying to stab the
dog in the eye he awaited the attack.
For moment the man and dos eyed each
other Then, with grOwl, the animal
sprang at LongfellOw The duel had begun.
The dog fastened its fangs in the 10 wer part
of LonglellOw's arm, his sharp teeth pierre
ing clear TO the bone despite the added pro-
lection of the mans coat In vain Lon Ilel-
low attempted 10 shake the infuriated dogs
grip; III vain did he attempt to stab him i'll
the eye with his pointed stick. The animal
kept its hold, but after a bitter struggle
L0ngfellow managed to break away. Almost
crazed By fear Longfellow shrieked wildly
for aid. but his cries We're drowned by the
sound Of traffic Oh Bltecker street
Then the dog resumed the attack and the
awful duel was continued. Man and dog
went whirling over and over on the Slippery
roof, while the maddening growlS OF the an
inal and the yellS OF despair of the man
made u fearful accompaniment to the wierd
scene. For Il half-hOur the terrible battle
was continued. Then in the pause that
came for the two exhausted dueliSts Long
fellow managed to roll TO the scuttle. just
how he got downstairs he cannot tell, but
he remembers falling in faint IN the street,
while crowd IF a hundred or more people
soon surged around him.
Some one sent a call TO St Vincents Hos
pltaI, and an ambulance soon arrived.
LOngfellow had by this time recovered sutfi-
clently to tell the ambulance surgeon his
story and a dozen people hurried to the
roof Of the building to kill the dog, but il
had disappeared. LOngfelOw was taken to
the Mercer-street Police Station, only
short distance from the scene of the duel.
He was Notwithstanding object. In his
awful struggle with the brute he had rolled
over ana over III the dirt on the roof until
he was black as coal. His clothing was
torn to shreds and his lace was covered
with blood.
His injuries consisted Of bites on the face,
arms. legs and abdomen. He was taken 10
st. Viocent'S Hospital.
Il thought l was q dead man." said he,
land hope that no one in this world will
ever have to go through what | did. That
dog weighed, | should say, about fourteen
pounds. He was a brlndie dog, with close
cropped ears and as ugly face as l ever
saw in my life. He was a fighter, too. |
tell you it was close call for me-"