Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-17
STORIES OF ANIMALS.
Relating How They Unwittingly In
jured Their Owners.

From London Answers.
A Belfast woman named Watkins was
suspected Of having stolen and hidden in
her house a quantity Of jewelry valued at
f2O0. Detectives called and made a thor
ough search, but failed to find the missing
property. Just as they were leaving the
last room, having given up their task in
despair, a cat which had been sitting with
her kittens In q. basket in the corner got
up, stretched herself and mewed. One of
the officers turned back, looked into the
basket, and there discovered the jewelry
hidden in the hay which formed the cats
bed. The cats owner is now expiating her
crime in jail.
Another curious case Of an animal unwit-
tingly delivering it's master up to justice
comes from Wednesday,. An ironworlter
of that town was cruel enough to throw his
dog down a disused coal pit sixty feet deep.
The poor creatures means were heard by
passers-by, and one Of them named William
Jeavons pluckily went down and rescued
the unfortunate beast. which was badly in
jured 1t was taken to the police station
and well looked after, and shortly recov-
cred. But as it was not known to whom It
belonged no steps could be taken to punish
the person responsible for the outrage. A
week or two later the dog was accompany
ing one of the policemen through the
streets, when 1t suddenly ran into a house
officer entered, and the master of the house
confessed that the dog belonged to him, and
that he had thrown 1t down the pit. He
was at once arrested and very heavily fined
for his brutal conduct.
A very peculiar case was recently record
ed Of such a harmless creature as a cow in
flicting very serious loss upon its owner. A
farmer OF Lanark county, near Ottawa, in
Canada, had EDO In notes of the Bank Of
Ottawa. These he placed in q pocket of
his coat, which he hung on a fence while
he worked. When he came back he found
that the wind had blown the coat to the
ground, the notes had fallen out and a COW
was quietly chewing up the last Of them.
A hawker was recently before the magis-
trates at Nottingham on charge of poach-
ing. The keepers had suspected him for a
long time, but invariably failed to catch
him. On this occasion, however, they had
secured his dog. which was brought into
court. The moment the poor faithful beast
saw its master 1t sprang out Of the arms Of
the policeman and rushed toward him. The
evidence was held to be complete and the
man was fned.
most curious case Of Involuntary dam
age done by an animal comes from Worces-
August valuable horse got terribly fright
ened and. galloping up from the field to-
ward the farm, got wedged In Its blind
panic between a wire fence and a barn con-
tanning quantity Of hay and valuable agri-
cultural Implements. Lightning struck the
fence and. passing through the body OF the
horse, killed 1t. afterward setting IRE to the
barn. which burned until It was completely
Quilted and all It's contents destroyed beyond
the possibility OF recognition. Perhaps the
most utter ruin ever inflicted upon human
being by domestic animals was in Pata-
gonia four or i've years ago. A number OF
Scotch crofters emiSrated to north Pata-
gonia and began sheep farming. at which
they were very successful. They brought
out with them several valuable collies, and
these for a time did good work.
rygv,fo ~ has <or l>S
suddenly. His dogs. left without food. be-
gan to devour the sheep. They ran away.
took to the hills and became the progeni-
tors OF q race Of Wild dogs which come
dreda.
So serious have matters become that Z