New-York tribune., 1908-08-06
THREAT TO DR.. BENSEL
Death for Killing Dogs Promised
to Sanitary Superintendent.

Alfred wagstaff, president of the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ana j.
Mayhew Wainwright, the society's attorney
were before the Board of Health at its meeting
yesterday to register emphatic protesI
against what they called the "inhuman' killing
of dogs by the boards special of1cers' "nlie
making this protest Colonel Wagstaff told the
board that in July seven thousand dogs had been
taken up by the society's officers, and that not
2 per cent of that number had been reclaimed
This meant that over six thousand dogs had
been killed by the society.
Although the Board of Health will not give
out the number killed in its crusade, it was ad-
mitted that it would exceed a thousand. DR..
Walter Bensel the sanitary superintendent at
tended the hearing. In his pocket he had a let
ter threatening him with death if the killing OF
unmuzzled and unleashed dogs was not immedi-
ately discontinued.
After the hearing. at which Colonel Wagstaf
was assured that the crusade would continue
until the society showed that it could control
the situation. DR. Bensel drew the letter from
its hiding place, 2nd he spread it on the desk
before him he looked as cheerful as If it con-
tanned an invitation to Tammany dinner. The
letter led off with DR." and the doctor said
that he did not know whether this stood for
dear doctor or debtor:
Dr.: OF with the muzzles Look out for your
life. You will be shot down like one of the verest
of the you pepper by me or another. am a
wealthy man 1 am a defender of dogs and animals.
II you do not desist in shooting down the pets Of
look out. You detest the best and truest Great
I am not afraid of you. nor of the electric chair.
Wait until pot you with bullets lets and y9ut r. S
TT out Ior Dc Do a yo hn that e going
to to let t that go on7 No We viii not and yo4 win
MT It i is entirely uneaIied for Very few dogs If
any, dangerous l will shoot you dead on NJ the
who voices the va ef all us rht cRaneo
to p recIain our lost pets and with the muzzles
and quickly, too. Down with a man like YOU
6e"a'@ nave I'' MILLIONAIRE
0r Fense1 believes that a woman wrote the
,at+ar The writing looks like it The paper Is
of eood quality and the chirography Is that OF
on educated person. The Sanitary Superln-
+sndent will not turn the letter over to the po-
lice Hundreds of letters have been received at
the Health Department, of which, 1T was said'
ri,a o,,t of ten approved of the killing Of stray
dogs.
The meeting of the Board Of Health was. as
usual secret. All that would be given out was
that Colonel Wagstaf had appeared and had
protested against the boards course, and tnat
the policy of the board would not be changed
until the society had shown its ability to handle
the situation.
Colonel Wagstaff said last evening:
Mr. Wainwright and I went before the Board
of Health. and I made an emphatic protest
against the boards inhuman way Of disposing
of stray dogs told the members thatwe could
handle the situation. that we had taken up
seven thousand dogs in July, and that not per
cent of them had been reclaimed That was
what we call effective work I was told that
the board would keep on killing dogs until con-
vinced that the society could kill them off fast
enough We shall redouble efforts. and we
trust that the board will soon be convinced that
we are capable of doing the work effectively"