The daily morning Alaskan., 1901-01-03
ANT ID.
THE TRAINED DOG,

Early in the seventies, said a lawyer,
| was practicing down south in a small
town of about a couple of thousand in
habitants. and friend of ms own age
were fond of going to pool in the creek
near by early in the morning to have a
swim. One day just about daybreak we
were strolling along the side Of the creek
when there was q stir in the brush, and
the next moment big black dog sprang
out, crossed our path and plunged into
the water. In less than half minute a
tall. gaunt man came crashing through
the scrub, with a gun in his hand and
blood in his eye. He halted on the edge
OF the creek, raised his gun and fired at
tie dog which had almost reached the
other side. The shot was a failure, for
the dog bounded up the bank, shook him
self and disappeared.
1.-THE gol darned thingw cried the man,
resting his gun on the ground and shak-
ing his fist toward the spot where the
dog had vanished. Then he turned his
eyes toward us and took stock Of us.
For a month";" he said, i've been
missin, most of a mornin, one plump
chicken after another and couldn't for
about daylight turn the chickens out to
feed around. Well, in month six Of
EN- have gone-that's at the rate of a
chicken and half week-and always
the plumpest of the lot. At last deter
mined to keep a good watch. So this
mornin. soon's let 'em out, watched,
with a gun, and caught that dog runnin
off with a chicken in his jaws. Now, I'm
goin right away to see Squire Rigney.
He's been a-losin his chickens the same
way, but he would have it it was hawks"
The man disappeared In the bush. We
lounged along by the creek, laughing
over the incident. When we reached the
pool, we found the water low, SO we
went on little farther toward the river
We came to a ford, the cart ruts disclos
ing the fact. CHANGING along the road
way through the brush on the other side,
we saw the dog come speaking out of
cover. We lay low, and the beast coolly
crossed the ford. A negro came out OF
the scrub and Joined the dog. The negro
carried canvas sack, at which the dog
every once and again shifted. We struck
into the brush and Intercepted the negro.
The dog shrunk into hiding place.
"Mawnin, sah," the negro said, taking
of his cap and making a humble gri
mace.
what have you in that bag?" asked
in q severe tone.
bag, sahY' be said. "Oh, sab, on'y
a little o sumfn for NAH missus. sah."
There's little something alive inside
for see 1t moving" said
With that the man dropped the bias
and dashed into the bush, followed by
the hound. In the bag we found fine
fat chicken, with the SLAYER Of the dog
on its buck, where the beast had grabbed
IL. After our swim we returned, and
when we reached the spot where the dog
first appeared we entered the scrub and
pushed forward, expecting to find the
house Of the owner of the chicken at no
great distance. We hadn't gone more
than 300 yards when we came upon the
man, lying on his back, bleeding in tn.
breast and unconscious. We hurried
away and in few minutes reached
well kept homestead, with evidences OF
thrift and prosperity around it. Tt
shorten the story, this was the man. |
home, and We got door. returned to tho
wounded man and bore him to the hous
His wife and children were distracte
as the doctor who was summoned sa
that the man couldn't live.
At the inquest l and my friend we.
present and told all you have heard. |
though we recounted the facts with NOR,
detail and circumstance
Ii was clear that the man had not &C
eidentally shot himself, for his was
single barreled shotgun, whereas the
wound In the mans breast was made by
leaden bullet of large calber as was
shown when 1t was extracted. The ne.
gro was easily traced. He lived with his
wife In hut near the bank of the river
1t was not known that he owned a dog. !
but it was found that the dog which fig.
ured as the chicken thief was owned by
the man for whom the negro worked and
that 1t was always with the negro except
when he drove 1t away. There was no
doubt that the man had trained the beast
to steal chickens and to bring them alive
to him. There was nothing whatever to |
connect the negro with the killing of |
James Hinney-that. l remember, was
the mans name-and the mystery of his |
taking Off was undiscovered for some
years.
One day, ! received a message from |
Squire Rigney's wife saying that he was
dying and wanted to make a will. / |
went to his home and drew up the instru.
ment, by which he left one-half of his |
property to the widow of James .Finney |
l finished writing the will, and just at |
the time the doctor and a nephew of his |
drove to the house. 1t was very oppor-
tune. for l was thus enabled to see that |
the will was duly executed. / was about |
to leave when the squire motioned me to |
stay. After the doctor and his nephew /
left the squire beckoned me close to him |
and said:
II killed Finpey. l was. lookin out for |
chicken thieves, l thought It was birds, |
ye know, and, seem somethin move in
the thick bush, let fly. was too big a
coward to go forward and tell the truth.
But now. I've done all / can to make up
for what l did by accident and squared |