The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-27
TIE TERRIER GOT AWAY
Then Keefe Said He Didn't
Care to Shoot the Dog Any
how, AS It Wasn't Mad.

A playful Scotch TERROR which some
people imagined was mad, created a panic
in Bright, Montgomery and Monmouth
streets AND Jersey avenue Thursday after
noon. Four boys were bitten by the
animal, none of them seriously. The dog
Is stil at liberty. although a policeman
attempted to end it's life. The supposed
mad dog was last seen making its way
toward the Hackensack meadows.
The terrier was owned by Emanuel
Lessen of No. 1865 Mercer street. Thurs
day afternoon it strayed from home, and
at about three o'clock was in the neigh
borhcod of No. 8 Scnoo in Bright street.
School had just been dismissed and a
hundred or more children were romping
on the sidewalk.
A mischievous youngster espying the
dog. which was e-ndeavoring to make
friends with the children, gave it a vicious
kick in the head. Howling with pain the
dog rushed among the children, some of
whom kicked it away. To escape its
tormentors the little terrier began to
snap right and left, fastening its keen
teeth in the legs Of William Harold, II
years old, No. 80 Bright street; George
Keefe, IA years old, No. $40 Montgomery
street: Edgar Peters. 70 years old, No.
26l Varick street, and William Donovan,
l6 years old, No. Ga Canal street.
The scream of the bitten boys alarmed
the school children, and they fed in
every direction. Relieved of its tor
mentors. the terrier started on a mad
run for its home followed by a hundred
or more bowling children. One of the
school children recognized the dog as
Lessons, and SO notified Policeman Keefe.
whose son had been bitten. Keefe saw to
1T first bhat none of the children were SER
iously injured, and after advising their
respective parents to ave its wounds
eauterized n dressed, started in pur-
suit of the dog. He abandoned the chase
after being informed that the animal
was not mad.
Yesterday afternoon Keefe went to Les
sens house and demanded the dog. The
animal was a pet and Mr.. Lessen surren-
dered it very reluctantly. Attaching a
string to the dogs neck Keefe led it to
a vacant lot at York and Monmouth
streets, where he proposed shooting il.
Two hundred or more children gathered
to witness the dogs execution.
A stake was driven into the ground and
then the dog was tied to it. While the
policeman was making the preliminary
dren howled and pelted the dog with
stones and bits of wood. The frightened
animal was WfigSlIng and tugglnS at the
string Which held it, to escape. BY the
time Keefe had cleared the crowd away
so that he might shoot in safety the dog
was turning handsprings much to the
amusement of the school children. Keefe
is one of the best shots in the Gregory
street station. He won the title, how
ever. by shooting at a motionless target.
He had never tried his hand a movable
target, and was loath consequently to
undertake the execution of an a~ggravat-
ingly active dog in the presence of so many
people. He spent a half hour clearing
the children away. hoping that the dog
would become quiet and stand still long
enough to be shot. The terrier seemed
to take in the situation. and when Keefe
approached it performed feats that would
ave ~astonished raine animals. Keefe
crawled as close as he dared and then
blazed way When the smoke cleared
away the terrier was flying about the
lot bowling. Never touched me- quite
distinctly, It had broken the. cord which
tied it after the shot was fred. The po-
liceman and the two hundred spectators
started in pursuit, but the dog quickly
distaneed them. The chase was finally
abandoned.
Policeman Keefe says he didn't want to
kill the dog anyway as it was not mad,
and would not have bitten anyone had II
not been tOrmented.