Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-08
STARVING DOGS
LIKE HYENA0 IN
MESSINA RUINS
ANIMALS, RABID FROM LACK OF
WATER, ATTACK HELPLESS
REFUGEES.
BODIES HORRIBLY MUTILATED.
One Victim, Buried Up to His Neck in
Debris but Still Alive, Has Eyes
and Cheeks Gnawed.
ITALY GRATEFUL TO AMERICANS.

hI<bobClAN[As y an O-1COSS lbN CO1IStI-
tute one of the dangers to the earth
quake refugees. These animals, starving
and often rabid through lack Of water,
gnaw the corpses like hyenas and fire.
Quently attack the refugees themselves.
Among the wounded who left for Pa
lermo last night was a young man whose
eyes and right cheek had been horribly
mutilated by dogs. After the earthquake
he was buried in debris up to his neck
and while thus unable to move was at
tackled by three of the animals and Sc
riously hurt before his cries attracted
help, Many people are shooting all va
grant dogs at sight and stray bullets are
another danger in the city
Looters Are Shot.
/ ROME, Jan. 6.-The report that a
number of Italian soldiers had been ar
rested and shot because large sums of
money supposed to have been stolen
from the ruins in the earthquake area
were found i'll their possession has been
proven false. Several thieves have dis
guised themselves in the uniforms of
dead soldiers which probably gave rise
to the report.
Ambassador Griscom has presented
formally to the Italian government the
resolution of sympathy passed by the
House of Representatives at Washing
ton. Foreign Minister Tittoni expressed
his high appreciation of this act and said
1t would be given fitting acknowledge
ment Mr.. Griscom today notified Count
! Taverna, president of the Italian Red
Cross, that having received 100000
from the American Red Cross society,
! he had shipped this American relief to
! the Strait of Messina on the steamship
Bayern, which left Genoa yesterday The
vessel will fly the Red Cross flag. The
expense of fitting out this vessel is com
! puted at 100000 for the first two weeks.
The time of her charter will be extended
If necessary. She is costing $1,000 a day.
The rest of the 100000 has been ex-
pended for supplies.
Search Italy for Supplies.
| All Italy is being searched for material
suitable for relief and it is becoming i'll
creasingly difficult to obtain the kind of
supplies required. Mr. Griscom has re-
! ceived warm congratulations on the or
! ganiZation of the Bayern relief expedi-
! ton from several admirals of the Italian
navy and from members of King Victor
EmmanuePs staff. The admirals express
| their amazement over the energy which
| enabled the Americans to load a shin
and outfit her perfectly within forty.
eight hours. They did not know which
emotion was the stronger. their gratitude
or their admiration for the energy dis
! played.
! Sic 10 Faliac &c he
Der of Deputies, who on the very day
| Of the earthquake reached Messina with
| a relief party from Catania, said today
/ that he does not think the search for the
living under the ruins should be stopped.
He recalls number of instances of
people in other disasters having been
/ found alive after ten days.
Object to Rigid Measures.
! The rigid measures that the authori-
ties are enforcing in the earthquake re-
! gion cause considerable complaint es-
= pecially in Reggie. where it is affirmed
/ large relief expeditions consisting of sol
diers, doctors and carpenters were
| obliged to wait aboard vessels in the
roadstead for twentyfour hours before
/ being allowed to disembark. The ad-
ministration Of relief i'll the Calabrian
district has been unable, on account of
the bad condition of the roads, to de-
4 liver foOI to various villages from fifteen
to twenty miles in the interior. COuriers
have brought to Reggie urgent appeals
for help.
Singers Die in Quake.
| ST. PETERSBURG. Jan. Ga dis
patch received here from Rome says that
NJ PetrOtf, Il prominent Russian baSsO.
and two Italian singers, Signores Catini
and Gambi, tenors, persisted at Messina.
These artists all appeared last winter
I in st. Petersburg.
! PARIS, Jan. 6.-Communication has
been established between the wireless sta
ton on the Eitfel tower and the French
battleships Justice and Verite, which are
now at Messina, 1000 miles away.
CHICAGO, Ill. Jan. 6-Anxiety for
the safety of W. J. Onahan the former
Chicago banker, was increased by the
receipt of word today stating that Mr.
Onahan was last heard from at Taor-
nina, Sicily, an hours ride from Mes
sina. Since then there is no trace of
him. Mr.. Onahan was close friend of
Archbishop Ireland and crossed the At
| lantic with the latter who was ON a
visit TO Rome.