Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-06-15
Attacked by Five Dogs.

Half of Flushing village was on the
lookout Monday morning for brown
and white female bulldog with STUN
py tail and Scared body. The hunt
started from Jamaica and Forrest ave-
nues. The old Van Bergen house
there is occupied by Mrs. J. NJ. Young,
wealthy widow, and her family. On
sunday afternoon about 1880 o'clockone
of Mrs. Young's daughters, Miss Laura
Young, was attacked in front of the
gate by pack of vicious dogs, led on
by the brown and white bulldog.
Miss Young is about "a years old.
She is nearly five feet six inches tall
and strong. When she left the house
that morning to attend services i'll st.
Georges Episcopal Church she wore
for the second time sage-green serge
dress, which cost nearly $1OO Her
home is about n mile from the church.
On her way home from the services she
stepped in to see Miss Van Bergen, who
lives in jamaica avenue, and this made
her later than usual.
As she neared her gate, she says, she
saw four dogs lying on the sidewalk,
while the bulldog lay in Il path leading
from the sidewalk to the gate. She
speculated on the chance of getting
around the dogs and into the gate.
There is another gate at the upper
end of the grounds and at first she
thought she would go out into the
street and enter the gate above. She
carried stout sun umbrella, and as
she was already within a few feet of the
painting animals, she changed her mind
and attempted to edge her way close
along the fence and into the gate. Her
movements aroused the pack, seemed
TO arouse their suspicious and all sprang
to their feet with hair bristling and
showing their teeth. The bulldog
sprang for her throat. Miss Young
screamed and brandished her umbrella.
The dog missed her throat, but got n
hold of her dress, near her left
shoulder
The cloth gave way and the animal
fell back to the ground with a mouth
ful of the dress in its jaws. The shock
of the attack threw Miss Young reeling
against the fence. Her courage and
presence of mind did not forsake her.
She used her umbrella to good adyan
tage, and kept calling for help at the
top of her voice while she retreated to
the half-open gate. The other four
dogs seized her skirt from behind and
tore it loose from her waist and al
most off her body.
In the mean time the neighborhood
was aroused by Miss Young's screams
and the barking of the dogs. The SER
wants in Mrs. Young's house rushed
down to the gate, while Lucius II.
Childs, who lives across the avenue,
and who had noticed from a window
what was going on, seized a loaded
shotgun and dashed out into the street.
Before either Mr.. Childs or Mrs. Young's
servants could reach the spot boy
named Mulligan, who was passing
along, dashed into the pack with club
and aided Miss Young to enter the
gate. The dogs held on to her skirts
until the gate was almost closed on
their noses.
Once inside, her courage forsook her.
aud she fell half fainting into the arms
of one of the servants. She was assist
ed into the house. where it was found
she had escaped without a scratch, al
though her dress was ruined. It was
full of rents. As soon as Miss Young
got into the yard the dogs ran otf, and
Alr. Childs did not get q chance to use
his gun. Miss Young believes the dogs
would have killed her had they
got her down. The matter was report
ed to Police Captain Hance, and it is
probable that orders will be issued to
shoot all unmuzzled dogs. The bull
dog has not been fomd.-Ne,c York Sun.