The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-05-10
DOG ELECTED MARSHAL.
Four N,oted Candidate That Poiled
Thirty-ore Votes Over His Opponent.

Thirty-ore Votes Over His Opponent.
Forty years ago a man in Aurora,
Ind, owned huge Newfoundland
that was known all over the town
by the name of Bob. The man was
Jim Kelso, conspicuous charac-
ter of those days. The dog pos
sessed wonderful sagaoity and would
do almost anything within reason
that its master directed it to do, and
when told to "take him" would
throttle and down the strongest man
and hold its victim without harm
ing him seriously until ordered to
release him by its master.
So great was the reputation of
this sagacious animal for police
duty that in the spring of 1859, at
the city election, the dog, under the
name of Bob Kelso, was voted for
at the polls and beat for the Office
of city marshal Clint Theetge, the
principal candidate, by majority
of 81 votes. Old Captain Weaver
and several other wealthy citizens
of that period promptly proposed to
have the dog properly invested with
the rights of the office to which such
a decisive majority had duly de-
clared at regular election a prefer
ence for over its human competitor
and prepared in legal form an off
cial bond in the sum of $4,000,
signed by numerous sportive parties
and with certificate from the elec-
ton board, that Bob had received
majority of 81 votes over Candidate
Theetge.
They presented themselves before
Mayor Starks, with the dog wearing
an officers star on its breast and
carrying in its mouth the official
bond, certificate of election, ETC., and
then, ordering the canine to stand on
its hind feet and hold up its right
paw in position to take the oath of
Office, requested the mayor to swear
the animal to faithfully discharge
the duties for which it had been
elected, as required by law.
The mayor refused, regarding the
proceedings as joke, but the hackers
of the brute asserted their sincerity
in the matter and insisted that the
dog be recognized as the city mar
shall, or they would defeat the may
or for reelection. The determipa-
ton of the parties kept his honor in
a quandary for several days until
Theetge could invoke the aid of the
law to put him in the position, but
he afterward became SO disgusted
over the affair that he resigned and
moved to Missouri and died there
soon after.
Kelso met with misfortune and
suicide and the dog be-
came the property Of Tom Vain
scott, who enlisted in the army at
the breaking out of the war and
made a gallant soldier of the Eight
eenth Indiana volunteers Vain
scott took the dog to the war with
him, and whether on the march, in !
the camp or amid the thunders of |
battle he was never separated from |,
his four footed companion.
At the battle of Pea Ridge Tom
Wainscott was shot to death. The
next day when the detachment of |
soldiers sent to bury the dead ap-
peared on the sanguinary field they
found the devoted animal standing
guard by the side of its lifeless
master, and no efforts could induce
it to leave the body or allow any
one to touch it.
Finally a soldier seized hold of
the corpse to drag it away when the
log attacked him with such ferocity
that his comrades, in fear of his
life, ran it through with their bayo-
nets to rescue him from his peril,
out in recognition of the undying
devotion of the faithful creature to
is dead master they buried it at his
'eet in token of their respect for its
idelity. Thus heroically perished
his brave brute, martyr to its in
;tincts of duty.-Cinoinnati En-
Iuirer.
A Clever Boy.