Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-07
SAD CASE OF CHESTY B0GGS
How He Met the Onslaught of a
Rabbit and Lost Section of
His Whiskers.

II there be any truth in this latest rabbit
story. which comes TO us from the neigh-
borhood OF Tupelo. Miss, we shall expe-
rience a very active dilution of the respect
and confidence we have hitherto bestowed
upon that most interesting beast. or course
the fact may have been exaggerated. per-
haps wilfully distorted, as often happens In
the case Of rabbit stories and to this pos
sible consolation we shall cling as long as
the needful strength is given us.
For the moment, however. we have be-
fore US only the report itself. and that
pending successful contradiction, is worthy
OF our most serious attention. Mr. Chesty
Boggs appears to be one of the beaux cf
Tupelo and it's immediate vicinity. He
doesn't reside in the very heart OF that
social and intellectual metropolis, but lives
on farm within easy walking distance.
This farm is surrounded by as much rs
sixty-five acres OF land. mostly grown up
IN scrub pine and boasting a whitewashed
smoke house and a front gate swinging or
real hinges Chesty works hard, saves a
little money every year. and enjoys we'll
earned reputation as the dressiest fellow In
the neighborhood. on the fatal night or
the tragedy we are about to unveil he was
going to a dance with one OF his best girls.
He picked her up at her own house, about
half a mile down the road. and they were
stroIling along in the moonlight, carrying
their shoes, when the rabbit bounded out
OF the bushes into the highway, squatted
! and began to wobbIe Its nose with almost
! fendish violence.
Chesty Boggs was unarmed, though
brave as julius Caesar He got in front
of his companion and calmly waited for
| the onslaught. He had on a neat alpaca
chi lRf hlaaa
and white striped pants. and the very
, cutest little tuft OF chin whiskers ever
seen in those particular parts. Some of
his detractors said that his chin whisker
! was the fruit OF idle vanity, but we are
reliably Informed to the contrary. The
! truth seems to be that nature, In an un-
kind mood. had pushed Chesty's chin too
far hack under his face, and that he had
| grown the tuft TO conceal. OF, at least, "a
/ mitigate that undeserved calamity. At MI
| events, he stood his ground like a hero
! and hurled defiance with a flashing eye
| II the pomatum melted in his hair and
| spoiled the sweetest shirt in Itawambs
| county small shame to him. He was IN
peril dire. and he knew II. Then. suddenly
and like a twelve-inch shell, the rabbit
sprang. Chesty Boggs hurled his shoes
but hurled them wild. The best gir
squealed and shook, ana there was h'
| raging beast at Chesty Boggs' throat
gnawing the chin whisker and tearing the
! pink shirt TO shreds. and shedding human
gore as though It were tenderloin cham
payne.
Chesty will recover, Il is now believed
though II the girl hadn't pulled the rab
bit on and hit II with her shoe. little pint
bushes might at this moment be CROWNS
over his young grave. But what astoundi
and Erfeves US to the quick Is this disD!al
OF unprovoked and needless cruelty On thu
part OF an animal which hitherto We have
credited with chivalry and valor in almos
equal parts. chesty Boggs was the rab
bits helpless prey. for he had left his gu'
at home. and. besides, he had with him
and under his protection, beautiful nn'
innocent young girl. We cannot under
stand, much less believe. such rufnan be
havior on the part Of Mississippi rabbit
Washington Post