The times., 1897-08-04
BATTLE WITH A BULLDOG
ht-Year-0ld Johnnie Rosson
the Victim of His Ferocity.
TWO OTHER PERSONS BITTEN
Required Regular Fusiiade of
Revolver Shots to Kill the Brute
No Outward Sign of Rabies and
No Further Danger to the In-
jured Persons Anticipated.

An ugly and ferocious bulldog attacked
and lit eight-yearold Johnnie Rosson
twelve times yesterday afternoon, and
also planted his teeth ia the left arm OF
Caroline Jackson and the right arm of
William Green, colored, who lives at Gal
street
IL was lust a little after O. clock when
the residents OF street, between Firth
and Sixth streets northwest, were terri
fled by yells and screams coming from
the residence of George Beckett, Te-
spectacle colored man, who lives at NO
511 street. Only few moments time
was needed to see that fearful battle
was going On between a large bulldog,
{. small white boy, and three or four
colored people.
In very snort time a large crowd had
gathered and people We're horriiled to
see the immense brute on top OF the lad
snariing and burymg his teeth IN the
body Of the prostrate child, ~hlie an
elderly colored woman, Caroline Jackson,
was trying TO light the inruriated dog
Off. in the crowd was John and Fred
Berren, who had come up in their buggy
and they took hand, endeavorlns TO
whip the dog cff with buggy whip an'I
a board, but every lick given the dog
seemed only to encourage him to extra
efforts to tear the little fellow to pieces.
william Green, colored, jumped off bis
drag and began to help in tile fight, but the
dog Tit him on the arm and without
word lie jumped back IN his drag and drove
Off Rctorethe dog wasfinally pulledoff, ,he
planted his teeth deep into the left arm OF
the colored woman, Caroline jackson, but
TO the wound she paid no attention until
the little poy was safely landed at DR..
Smarl's office, 1926 Sixth street, where
both his wounds and hers Were dressed,
after which they were sent to the Elmer
gency Hospital.
i number of policemen were quickly on
tie scene, and believing the dog was mad,
they determined TO kill it, Sergeant Nc
Taggart, Officers Reith and Murphy and
Precinct Detective Barnes poured volley
after volley into the brute's carcass, but
il seemed Impossible to kill him IN and
out OF tie house, through the back yard
and around the dlleyway TO the front yard,
the infurated brute ran, snarling and snap
ping at everything in sight, hlle ball after
bah sank into his body. 1t was not until
he hacked himself IN @ corner in the back
yard and an old-time Colts pistol was
brought into service that the dog gave a
leap into tie air and fell dead.
While the fusiade was going on at least
300 people gathered around the house and
when some one would say Here he
comes" there would be AN immediate re-
treat.
The dog was the property of George
Beckett, who is DR.. l.. NJ Taylor's coach
man, aud was OF very fine breed, his
parents having been imported from Eng
land. Although only nine months old he
was of immense size and vicious, ugly
butte. lie was not allowed to run in
the front yard or on the streets, aud when
little Johnnie Rosson, who lives with his
parents at $40 n street, nearly opposite,
went into the yard yesterday the dog
bound ded ont of the front door and jumped
upon him. inflcting twelve bites before he
could be pulled off.
Fortunately rone of the wounds were
torn, the 5rute's teeth sinking deep into
the child's arms and legs, but none OF the
wounds tearing out. Il is the nature OF "a
bulldog 10 bite and bold On, and this ac-
counts for none OF the bites being ragged
ones.
Drs. Bahr and Junemann, who cauter-
lied and dressed the wounds at the Emer-
gency Hospital, said that while the little
fellow. was badly used mp, they did not
think the dog had the rabies and Conse-
quently did not fear any bad results.
Mr.. George s. Rosson, the child father,
said: Il do not fear hydrophobia as l do
not believe the dog was mad 1, of course,
| am glad the officers killed him as it makes
me feel easier"
Mrs. Rosson, however, did not agree with
her husband, and said that her little son
had had poison oak and that his blood was
IN bad condition and she feared bad re-
| suits from the bites 1.-The child is naturally
| delicate,'' she said, land his blood already
being in an impure or poisoned state will
| not work well for him.
In this opinion, however, the lady was
not sustained by the physicians to whom
| the Times man talked. They believe that
| If the dog was not mad that whatever
| impurities of the blood may have resulted
| from poison oak viii not affect him in the
| least.
George Beckett, the owner of the dog
| expressed the greatest concern for the
! child and said that while he regretted
| to see lis dog dead he was, of course
| much more concerned about the boy. Beck
| ett had just been to the District Building
| and paid SO for a tag for William Nc
| Kinley, which was the dogs name, and
was greatly surprised when he returned
| home to find the excited crowd around
his home and his dog dead. He said that
| he intended to have the brain of the dog
| examined in order to see if there We're
| any traces of the rabies.
Poundmaster Einstein is making sad
| havoc with stray dogs and his men are
| taking them to the pound by the score.
| lie says there seem to be about half n
| million useless and worthless dogs in
| the District and that all found without
/ Eo. Ri ad 70 tta