Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-30
FACE EATEN BY RATS.
ALARGs HOLE eNAWEp IN THE HEAD
OF AcOLo oRED INFANT.
The Baby Being Left Alone Tame white
Rodents Prey Upon and Very Nearly
XIII II.

In dirty, squalid apartment in rear OF
the bsr-room at the northeast corner of
Byrd and First streets colored child, six
months old, was terribly bitten yesterday after
nc,>1 By tame white rats which we're allowed to
run at large through the house.
The infant had been loft alone in the crib by
itr mother, Annie Bowles, who works at T. c.
Wiiliams's tobaccO-factory, and the rats, which
were evidently half starved, crawled up In tho
cradle and commenced gnnwing at its skull. Tho
child, of course, struggled furiously and doubt
less cried incessantly, but as the bloodthirsty
rodents were perfectly tame they did not become
frightened and continued TO eat into tho mead OF
the unfortunate baby.
They bit hole nearly two inches long and as
deep as the table Of the skull on the LEFT side OF
the hoad, and also gnawed its face In several
places and lacerated one OF its hands terribly.
Another painful wound was made on the infant
arm, and tho pain 10 which the helpless child
was subjected must have been excruciating.
NUsT HAVE BEEN GNAwISG OVER AN HOUR.
The rats had, perhaps, been gnaving at the
baby over an hour before II was discovered. An
old deTBpid negro man, who was its grand
father, and In fact its nurse, too, during the
mothers absence, happened 20 go into the room
and saw the child lying on Its bed In pool OF
blood with one Of the rats on its head sucking the
wound For moment he was paralyzed WITH
fright and amaZement, but when the little one
enables suffering human being OF any age TO
recognize preseryer, stretched out It's helpless
arms towards him, be ran to the cradle and
snatched It up.
The child continued crying piteously, but the
old man was 20 dszed that he did not attempt
70 relieve Its distress for sometime. Finally ne
notified the people In the bar-room, and inc
ambulance was telephoned for IL was out on
call at the time and did not arrive for nearly
two hours. Meanwhile several colored people
came into the room, which In Itself was SUI
ficiently malOdorous and unclean TO produce
cholera, and undertook TO soothe the child.
IT DRANK MILK NEVERTHELESS.
One Of them produced the ever-ready bottle OF
milk, and despite the agonv IL was suffering the
baby found, at least for while, a slight comfort
In this method Of treatment. Its hands and Iace
soon became very much swollen, and when tne
ambulance physician, DR.. Robinson, arrived, II
had sunk into ada5ed state. The Doctor imme-
diately administered drink OF whiskey which
had very beneficial effect. He then washed
the wounds In cold water, which seemed agoni-
zing 20 the child, and bandaged its head
While the rats did terrible WORK, ana the
childs suffering must have been terrible, IL u
not thought that the wounds viii prove tatal
The infant was left at the house by DR.. Robinson.
THE MIscHIEyoUs RATS.
The rats which bit the child DC Is thought that
there were only two Of theml we're tull grown,
and their teeth were long and sharp. They mad
been turned loose in the room in order TO scare
away the mice, and doubtless not having mel
with success in this line and being nearly
starved, they attacked the baby. Although they
were originally white, their fur had become quite
dirty and they were very repulslye looking Inc
one discovered on the child was KILLED, Dut OWNS
10 one OF those peculiar whims which so otter
manifest themselves In negroes, the life Of the
other was spared. II is said the family have az
many as thirty Of them.
Tho mother Of the infant was much distressed
at tho child's condition.
A considerable crowd was attracted arounc
the house by the occurrence, and tho arrival o
the ambulance, which always brings win u
crowd Of idlers, added TO the throng. AInons
those who came was a feeble white woman Wh'
had Just been discharged from the city almshouse
but wanted 70 return as she felt so feeble aht
broken down. The doctor carried her BACK.