Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-02-16
DOG A DETECTIVE.
Animal Belonging to the Police at
Shanghai Gave Valuable Aid.

Shanghai Gave Valuable Aid.
There has just died in the central
police station in Shanghai perhaps one
of the most faithful and intelligent
animals of the dumb creation, and one
which was truly regarded by the
Shanghai police as the "policemen's
dog" a mute but sagacious compan-
ion, whose death has been regretted
by the whole force. Niger at his
death was 25 years old eleven Of
which he had served in the Shanghai
police force. His record in the SER
vice shows that he has actually been
in both the public and the secret de-
partments of the police, and had been
the means of effecting the arrest of
many notorious criminals. Niger, re-
marks the China Gazette, was a per-
sonality in the force, petted as much
by the superintendent as he was by
constables, both European and native.
He was moreover, part and parcel of
them, for he visited them on their
usual beats, was patted, and with
gentle tail wag travelled onward to
meet the next officer. The dog, too,
became a general favorite, because he
used to remain out on might duty"
and never considered that his patrol
was up till the morning round was
finished. When he was on night duty
he used to enter the station at 8
o'clock to get his coffee. After that
Niger would trot out again and con-
tinue his round till morning. An in
spector of the police force, speaking
of the death of the dog, states that he
was as good as a detective, and that
on many occasions Nigger had been
the means of arresting lawbreakers
| in cases where the police had failed
Several notable instances are re-
| corded. 1t is well known that Niger
secured the arrest of a criminal who
escaped from the Hong-Kew police
station. The convict was in for a
/ term of years, and his escape from the
station was apparently unpeTceived
| until Niger took UP the chase. The
] dog pursued the man for two miles,
/ the while biting him on the heels. TAe
| runaway dropped and the police came
| upon him. One of the most remark
| able instances of canine fidelity per-
| haps in modern times was this: About
three months ago two European po-
| lice officers were going up the Nan
| king road at about midnight. Niger,
who had been with them, was missed.
/ A few minutes afterward the animal
made its temperance. when it began
paving at the legs of its master, Ser
| geant Madsen, who knew then there
was something wrong. Both officers
! proceeded to ascertain post, piloted by
| Niger, who at once put his front
| paws against the door of house and
returned to scratch his master. The
dog again went to the door and actual
/ ly by his front paws burst it open, and
then it was that the officers discover
ed a criminal who was on private pro-
perty for the supposed purpose of
committing a felony and who was sub
sequently convicted and sentenced to
three months hard labor.
These are among the many acts
which made Nigger's name famous in
Shanghai, not only among the mem
bers Of the police force, but among
many private residents who knew him
by his reputation. The shanghai pO
lice force is inconsolable. The funeral
was attended by six constables and a
sergeant-Pall Mall Gazette.