Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-20
IT WAS NOT A WOLF
ZOO OFFICIALS THINK A DOG BIT
THE CHILDREN.
The Animal That Escaped Saturday
Morning Was Wolf Pup Seven
Months Old.


was an escaped wolf from the institution
that attacked and horribly MANNED two
children of George Jackson, colored, who
lives on the outskirts of Rock Creek Park
near the Klingle Ford road, Saturday morn
ing On the contrary, Mrs. Jackson insists
that it wolf.
Mrs. jackson was attracted by the cries
of her children. Rushing out of doors she
found the youngest a tot of three years.
on the ground beneath what she at first
supposed to be a ferocious dog. The ami
mails teech were buried in the back of the
child's neck. A seven-year-old sister tried
to rescue the child and was bitten in. the
hand. The mother. almost frenZied at thu
sight, grabbed the wolf and hurled it
through a chicken coop. The animal dis
appeared down the road that leads under
the Klingle bridge
Half an hour later the wolf attacked a
bull terrier pup that was tied in the back
yard of G.. H. Powell in Cleveland Park
The servant beat the wolf off with clothes
prop. The animal snapped at Mrs. Powell
as it was leaving the yard. At the home of
Mr.. Sharpe, a third of mile from Mr..
Powells. the wolf had an encounter with
collie, which more than held its own and
drove the wolf to the woods.
The Wolf Captured.
While wandering about the fields near the
home of Representative Newlands. adjoin-
ing the home of Admiral Dewey. Mr..
Bowles. the guardian of the property, shot
the beast in the hip, wounding it so it could
not run. About this time keepers from the
Zoo, who had been chasing the wolf, came
on the scene. They lassoed the beast and
returned it to the Zoo.
The Sunday crowd at the Zoo was greatly
ed
heard the story of the escaped wolf and its
recapture and who were anxious to see it.
The Zoo officials declare that it was not the
wolf that bit the Jackson children, but must
have been dog. The wolf is eight months
old and might easily be mistaken for dog.
The guards at the gate allowed the wolf
to pass them thinking it was dog.
The Jackson children are at the Children's
Hospital A large piece of scalp was lifted
from the skull on the baby's head and
little lower down on the neck another pair
of teeth marks showed. The elder girls
hand was badly lacerated. The physician
fears only blood poisoning infection.
Mr.. W. H. Blackburn, In charge of the
animals at the Zoo, stated to Star re-
porter this morning that the wolf which
escaped was gray. wolf pup of seven
months DID, born in the Zoo and is not Of
ferocious disposition, but, on the contrary,
because of its having been born in con-
fnement and being but a few months old,
Its vicious qualities are not developed. and
human beings.
Mrs. Jackson, said Mr. Blackburn, stated
that she grapsed the wolf by the collar and
threw 1t into a chicken house, while the
servant at the Powell house also stated
that the animal had a collar with a ring
The wolf had no collar strap around It's
neck. Mr.. Blackburn stated that If the
wounds were inflicted by a ferocious dog,
as one was seen in the vicinity of the
Jackson house. they would be more dan
gerous than If inflicted by the wolf. "As
for the wolf being mad" continued Mr..
II it had been mad and ferocious it would
have attacked any one of the several men
and boys in and about the Zoo who en-
countered 1t.
IF we thought the wolf inflicted the
Wounds said Mr.. Blackburn, I'VE would
conceal anything, but there Is no necessity
for people to become unreasonably alarmed,
as is always the case over a scare aroused
by the escape of wild animal. We have
had our agents investigating the case and
we are positive that the wolf did not leave
the park until 1870, while the attacks are
alleged to have taken place earlier. 1t Is
the conclusion of the Zoo officials that II
was a ferocious dog which inflicted the
wounds, as the animal was stated In two
instances to have on a collar. People hear
ing of the escape of the wolf puppy natur-
ally jumped to the conclusion that 1t was he
who made the attack
The animal is not dead, as has been
stated, but was only slightly wounded and
is now in confinement. The wire fence now
in course of erection around the park
which Is seven feet in height, with a three
barb wire barrier above the height of the
fence, will soon be completed. and Will
prevent stray dogs from getting into the
park, and in case of an animal getting
loose, will stop his getting out of the park