Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-23
THE FEAR OF DEATH.
Last Agonies of a Sound Man Who
Imagined He Had the Rabies.
PROPHECIES OF HIS FRIENDS.
That Dog Bite Would Prove Fatal Cause
That Very Result.
THE CANINE STILL ALIVE AND WE'LL

tan Belten, who stands at the corner OF
Fulton street and Broadway, has in his side
yard black, long haired dog of medium
size and of spitz-spaniel origin. This black
dog has bad reputation in the nelghbor-
hood, because it is often peevish and snaps
at passersby. Just now it is regarded with
horror because it caused the death OF Nlch-
olas Gaulrapp.
Young Gaulrapp came to this country
from Germany one year ago, and went to
live on Stebbins avenue with his cousins
husband, George Johann, a cabinet maker.
Nicholas got employment of an unsteady
kind as a driver for beer bother in One
Hundred and Sixty-frst street. He also
did all odd jobs which came his way. He
worked several days for Policeman Belten,
who lives block below Johann's. In this
way he got well acquainted with the black,
long-haired dog. Nicholas fell in love,
moreover, with a young German girl, Mary
Heinrichs, who was at service at S15 West
One Hundred and Sixty-third street.
The Dogs Savage Attack.
At 1890 o'clock on Sunday evening,
April 26, Nicholas and Mary were strolling
along Stebbins avenue When they got in
front Of Belten's place the gate was open
and the dog rushed out. Nicholas snapped
his fingers at the dog, but it refused to
recognize him, and leaped savagely at
him Mary was on the inside, but
jumped back with scream. Nicholas
put up his arm and warded the dog from his
throat. Its teeth closed on his right hand.
He jerked away and kicked the dog, which
ran into the yard. The blood was stream-
ing from his. hand. The dogs teeth had
torn the flesh between the thumb and fore
finger and at the base of the thumb.
Gaulrapp and the girl hurried up Steb-
Johann's house. 1t is kept by the
widow of John George. AS soon as
she found out that the wound was
dog bite, she said: Zach, Nick, wouldn't
have that for 81 100000. You'll go crazy
and die sure She put whisky and water
in the wound, and advised him to go to a
doctor. He and his sweetheart hunted up
some physician, who gave him salve, and
after inquiring about the dog, told him he
need fear nothing. In few days the wound
healed, and only a few slight scars remained
to show that he had been bitten. Belten's
dog showed no signs of madness, but con-
tinued to eat and drink heartily.
An Ignorant Young Fellow.
Nicholas Gaulrapp, however, was very
ignorant young fellow, and the people
among whom he lived had their own pecul-
lar ideas about hydrophobia. So whenever
he dropped in at the Widow Georges for
glass of beer, the widow and her daughters
and her customers inquired about the
wound, looked at it fearfully, and assured
IL a 41o+ oLo Cow 60
poor. He had fits of dependency, but he
his little sweetheart gave him his walking
papers and told him that she was going
back to her own country. This rendered
Nicholas quite sick at heart. His system
got out of order generally, and his fears of
the dog bite became conviction.
On last Tuesday morning he got up feel
ing i'll, and his relatives began to look ask
ance at him. He had learned all about the
symptoms of hydrophobia, and he told them
after breakfast that he felt sure that it was
coming on. Although the wound in his
hand was cured there was still a pain in his
arm. He said that he could feel this pain,
into his lungs. The pain got worse. As his
terror increased, the suffering increased, un-
til, he said, he could no longer breathe He
said something was choking him to death.
In the afternoon Gaulrapp went to see DR..
Henry Rohl at $40 East One Hundred and
Sixty fourth street. When he came into
the doctors Office the doctor saw that he
was laboring under great excitement. 81
can't breathe well,' he said in German sI
feel as if was suffocating. I have pain
in the chest" But he said nothing about
The dog bite
Said He Couldn't Take Water.
DR.. Rohl gave him physic and told him
10 come back the next afternoon. AT $50
o'clock on Wednesday morning Nicholas
went to Wendler's drug store, 1865 Third
,venue, to get the prescription filled. When
Mr.. Wendler saw that it was physic he
,ut to Nicholas with a glass of water.
When Nicholas saw the water he jumped |
)ack and said: 81 cannot swallow water |
Take it away" Mr.. Wendler did not un-
lerstand this, but handed him the powder |
md suggested that he take it without water. |
Nicholas held out his tongue, put the pow
ler on it, and swallowed it. He returned |
o Johann's house and sat around all the |
lext morning. At about noon, he said that |
was coming; that he was now sure he had |
that he would die, and no one |
ould help him. A few minutes afterward |
lie leaped up and began to bark, his arms
aised and crooked and tapping up and
Iown like wings.
Mrs. Johann ran for the Widow George
The two women peered at the man, who was
,arking and foaming. Then they ran scream
ug down the street. Several men came,
nd, finding out what the matter was, went !
n, seized Nicholas and forced him to bed.
Widow Georges eldest daughter ran for DR..
tohl. When the doctor got to the house
ounds of barking could be heard. He en-
cred Nicholas room and found him held on
bed by two men. His eyes were bulging.
lis face was red, and the veins stood out on
is forehead There was foam on his small
rown mustache, and he was initiating the
arking of dog.
Bound to BE Dead Man.
Soon after the doctor came the spasm
assed, and he lay quiet and was able to
llk. He told the doctor to go away, that
e was a dead man, and medicine would
e of ne use. The Widow George brought
glass of water, but Nicholas dashed it
ON her hand. As the dog which bit him
as alive and well, DR.. Rail- felt sure the
ian was only terror striken, and said: ''Of |
purse you can't drink water. But you can
rink tea." They brought tea. Gaulrapp
livered at the sight of it, took a mouthfu1
nd then spit it out over the bed and the
oor. ''I cam IT, he said: 'I am choking to
cath. This pain is killing me. Go away
nd let me diep' The convulsion came on
gain, and he jerked and writhed about in
lie grasp of the men, swapping and barking,
18th the white foam oozing about his lips.
The doctor left chloral to quiet him in
ase he got too violent and went away, find
lg that he could do nothing to drive the
Orror from the mans mind. Gaulrapp's
'ndition remained unchanged all Wednes-
ny afternoon, and until about 10 o'clock at
ight. The men who held him were sick at 1