The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-02
STEERS WILD CHARGE.
Maddened Animal TrampIed Upon
and Tossed Unwary Pedestrians.


and Tossed Unwnry Pedestrians.
Plunging and dashing madly through
the business section of the city, an in
| furiated steer caused the widest kline
! of excitement between 1 and O'CLOCK
yesterday afternoon. While everybody
in the animals path retreated as rap
| idly as possible, some were not agile
enough, and were either trampled upor
or tossed in the air.
While the steer swept everything be-
fore him, he was being pushed by 6
| bowling, shouting mob, including sew
eral patrolmen. When the animal was
finally brought to bay, and made to bite
the dust at President and Montgomery
streets, there were 1900 people at his
heels, not including the company OF
patrolmen, with rapid-firing revolvers
In all some fifty or more pistol shots
were fired at the beast before he fell
bleeding and gasping for breath. Not
until the brave bluecoats had marched
around the dead body several times
almost bursting with the pride of vic
tory, would the auxiliary forces of cit
liens, and small boys, venture to APP
though yanquished foe.
The steer was part of drove owned
by w. j. X. Hyatt, and escaped from
the Plant System depot. With a wild
below, and tail straight in the air, the
beast started for the business section.
He wanted excitement and never gave
thought to the quiet residence Sec
ton of the city. Just what streets he
covered in his wild charge for gore no
one has been able to discover. Even
the mounted patrolmen who were DASH
ing wildly behind him, and shouting to
pedestrians to get out of the way, were
not able to say what ground they had
covered in their exciting chase. They
watched the enemy, with pistols in
hand, and their only thought was to
make a lead mine of his body.
More than one urchin was knocked
down, and trampled upon, but strange to
relate not a dead, or even bleeding
body was found in the steers wake.
The police gladiators were pressing him
too hard, and he was only able to leave
behind him a slight remembrance of
his trip. Not until Abercorn and York
streets was reached did the officers get
a chance to fire at the maddened brute.
Two shots were fired, but his steership
lodged the bullets, and continued on
his trip. The streets were crowded
when he turned out of Drayton street,
and rushed wildly by the court house.
The officers We're afraid to shoot,
fearing that a stray bullet would strike
some pedestrian. Their only hope was
to tire the animal, and kill him after
he had fallen from exhaustion. Up
Broughton street the steer dashed, and
people rushed into the stores for pro-
lection. A strapping negro alone re-
manned In the path of the beast. The
man was walking in an unconcerned
manner towards Barnard street in ig-
norance of his danger. He was deaf
and could not hear the shouts of warn
ing from the officers and others who
were In the chase
Suddenly the man was struck from
behind and sent flying upward.
He landed on his hands on the
asphalt, and was bewildered for a mo-
ment. Once more he was alone. The
steer and his pursuers had reached
Barnard street and there was no one
in calling distance to tell him what
happened. The steer and the crowd was
getting farther and farther away and
the negro decided to see the end of the
trouble. He had only been jolted and
was able to do a rather strong sprint
towards the West Side, with revenge
cleaning from his eye.
In the square on Montgomery and
President streets the steer made a ia
tai halt. He was blowing and putting
at great rate and stopped for a mo-
ments rest. His distreAsed condition
was noticed by the officers. and they
were determined that he should not
catch his second wind. A very brief
council of war was held by Mounted
Patrolman Behrman and Coffee, BIZ
cycle officers Christy, and Patrolman
Russell and Collins, and it was decided
to take the prisoner by storm.
The fusilade began at once, and that
port of the city's population that did
not know what was happening must
have thought a battery of heavy aftii-
lery at work. Shot after shot was
fired, and many went wild of the mark.
The steer finally sank to the ground
from the weight of the lead in his body,
and gave a parting gasp on the corner
of President street.
Gayly and calamity the animal was
placed in a wagon and carted to the
slaughter house, after his throat had
been cut. The crowd looked at the Of
ficers, and then at the empty revolvers,
and silently moved away. The blue
coats had done their duty nobly and
quietly and unostentatiously they left
the bloody field of battle for their Sc
rene and peaceful divisions. They met
the enemy and he was theirs.