The times., 1899-07-20
STRICKEN WITH HYDRoPHoBIA.
Recently Bitten Boy Bnr,<s and
Fonms Mt the Mouth.


New York, July 19.-After a series of
surprising adventures John Wilson, thir-
teen years old, of Union Hill, n. j., was
placed on a cot. in the Harlem Hospital
last evening, and the doctors there began
TO treat him for hydrophobia.
The boy says that his parents, Leo and
Mary Wilson. who live at los Main Street.
Union Hill, are both critically ill., one from
consumption, the other from dropsy 1t
was therefore necessary that he should
find work, he says, and on Tuesday morn
ing he went to Hoboken and was soon en-
ployed as cabin boy by Theodore Thomp-
son, captain of lighter.
The boat steamed over to this city yes
terday and tied up at the foot of West
Thirty-fourth Street. There Wilson fell in
with several boys OF the dock rat" varie-
ty, and, after some rough play, threw him
overheard to see If he could swim. They
pulled him out again.
Then Wilson began to bark like a dog
and to foam at the mouth. Some persons
! thereabouts said he was suffering from cpl
lepsy, but more said hydrophobia. The
boy was removed to Bellevue Hospital, but
as the symptoms disappeared before the
/ ambulance got there he was detained for a
| few hours only.
He told the doctors there that he wished
to enlist for service in the Philippines and
( had tried to get job on the cattle steam
| er General Cullen, which arrived here yes
| terday.
When he was released from Bellevue
Wilson went to the foot of East 1884
| Street, to which place Thompsons boat
had gone. He fell in with more dock
rats" there and they induced him to go in
swimming. The boy had forgotten ap-
parently all about his experience earlier
| in the day and soon he was in the water
Captain Thompson saw him clinging to
| a hawser and ordered him to let go. He
| did not obey and then the captain il is
said, threw a stone at Wilson, which
struck him on the head and knocked him
! into the water stunned. He was in a fair
way to be drowned when William Ham
| berger of 203S First Avenue plunged in
and drew him to the pier.
Wilson. once out of the water began to
| bark and snarl and Hamburger asserts he
tried 10 bite him. George Lasker. of 3O9
East 10Tth Street, ran to a saloon and got
a glass of whisky, which he offered the
boy. Wilson bit a piece out of the glass
| Lasker says, and ground it to fragment
| between his teeth. Some one sent in an
ambulance call and several persons sat on
Wilson.
| AS ne was DelnB removed TO the Harlem
Hospital, Detective Wilkesman saw the
crowd, and, hearing that Thompson had
thrown a stone attempted to arrest him
The captain became excited and fell over
board. The detective thought he was at
tempting TO escape by swimming, and gave
chase in a roWboat. Thompson was cap
tured and locked up in the East 104tl
Street station, charged with assault
Wilson told the doctors in the Har e.y
Hospital that on Thursday last he was
bitten en- the thigh by dog while he wa.
stealing fruit from an orchard in UniCI
Hill. He said the wound, which was Sc.
we're, was not cauterized. and that he sim
ply washed it and said nothing about tat
matter.
The hospital physicians decided thai
Wilson was developing hydropho5la, anC
began the preparatory treatment usual,
applied in that disease.