The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-13
DOG OWNERS AROUSED
Poisoned Meat Placed in City
Hall Park Causes a
Canine War.
VALUABLE ANIMALS KILLED
Threats of Suits Against The City
The Mayor Indignant and
Bent Upon investigation.

A half dozen or more indignant prop
erty owners waited on Mayor Hoos early
this morning and a him the astonish-
ing Information that the grass plots
about the City Hal had been literally
covered with poisoned meat. 1t had been
thrown there, it was charged, for the
purpose CT poisoning dogs. Who was re-
sponsible for the act was a mystery for
a time. 1t was cleared UP, however, when
an employe of the City Hall Commits
sioners announced, with an apparent feel
ing of pride, thai he had scattered the
poisoned meat about.
by whom were you instructed to do
so?' was demanded.
by my superiors,' was the reply.
Alderman William Moran, who owns a
st. Bernard, which he values at $500,
was among the protestants. His dog is
sick, and, having been taken out by an
employee and allowed to run neal the
City Hall, the Alderman fears that the
dog has been poisoned. The Alderman
declares that he viii sue the city if any
thing happens the animal.
Mayor Hoos was dumbfounded when he
heard the reports. He became excited
and declared that such an act as the
City Hal enlploye had been guilty OF
might have resulted in the death OF chill
dren. The Mayor promised to attend to
the case at once. Immediately afterward
he sent for superintendent DATE.
All day yesterday people owning dogs
and who live in the vicinity Of the Hall
were in a state of mind. Early in the
day three or four dead dogs were removed
from the neighboring streets. A half
dozen pet dogs which had wandered from
those who had them out were carried
home sick. What the trouble was, no
one knew until a druggist in the neigh
borhood, after looking at one of the sick
animals, announced that it had been
poisoned. Rat poison, it appears, had
been put in pieces OF meat. Complaint
was made to the police of the Gregory
street station. Captain Farrier, vino was
In charge, sympathized with the COM
~p1ainants and declared that it was an
outrage.
II am powerless to do anything" he
declared. 'If the City Hall Commission
ers have thrown poisoned meat about
certainly the police cannot be expected to
dogs which run about on the grass could
be spared, but there are others which are
valuable. I question the right OF the Com
missioners to scatter poisoned meat or
poison of any kind about in such a public
place. The proceeding was a reckless
one, and l am not at all surprised that
owners of dogs are indignant"
This morning Health Inspector Benja-
minis office was besieged. Those whose
dogs had died from the effects OF the meat
wanted to know why they had been COM
PEELED to pay a tax of 81 apiece il 1t were
not 10 secure protection for their dogs.
That fee or tax" Inspector Benjamin
announced, docs not guarantee protec-
tien to a dog. 1t merely authorizes peo-
pie to keep q deg"
A more astenished collection of persons
cannot be imagined. They denounced the
City Hall Commissioner and left declar-
ing that they proposed suing the city.
Superintendent DATE of the City Hall
was not Inclined TO discuss the subject
this morning. He would neither deny or
at1rm hat poisoned meat had been
placed on the grass plots. When inform
ed that there was considerable i%ndigna-
ton because of the poisoning of dogs he
said
What was to be done2 Dogs were al
lowed to run loose at night and many
of them dug up whole sod of grass. My
idea and desire is to keep the grass about
the building looking nice. That cannot
be accomplished while dogs are allowed
to run over it."
could not some other plan of getting
rid Of the dogs have been devised?" he
was asked. The Superintendent had
nothing to say. The Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals has been
notified and President George Mccarthy
will probably have something interesting
to say to the City Hall Commissioners.