New-York tribune., 1914-03-08
HUNGRY DOG CAUSES
PANIC OF SHOPPERS
Hundreds of Women and
Children Flee and
Some Faint.

NIIIIUI Gil ICc dIIu
Some Faint.
A black and white dog that seemed
to have gone long without food entered
the shopping centre at Broadway, Gra-
ham and Flushing avenues, Brooklyn,
at O'Clock last night. Thousands OF
persons, mostly women and children,
to whom late Saturday afternoon and
evening give the big opportunity of the
week to make purchases, were crowd
ing in and out of Batterman's depart
ment store and of the smaller stores
near by. and from other buildings in
the vicinity came hundreds or men
and women leaving work for home. And
as this was transfer point, the crowd
was the largest of the week.
The dog. about eighteen inches high
and of indefinite breed, was unnoticed
until Michael Backermuth, of No. Sl'
Flushing avenue stepped from Broad
way car to transfer to a Flushing ave-
nue. car. He kicked the mongrel, which
Immediately lost its apparent spirit OF
lassitude and. springing al the man. plt
him in the chest. IT sprang at Back
ermuth again, but he fought it off, and,
satisfied that conquest lay in other
quarters. the dog sped mp Flushing
avenue.
II had taken less than five minutes
for the thoughts of the shoppers ana
the homegoers to converge on the dog.
With the attack on Backermuth who.
white faced had torn open his coat ana
shirt to learn how serious his wound
was there arose a hundred shouts O.
Mad dog" Women and children VINO
had seen the dogs actions or VINO heard
the cries. sought the shelter Of stores
and they pushed and TANNED one an
ether through doorways to escape
In this same space Of time Flushing
ayenue for two blocks east or Broad
way was cleared of all save one person.
eight -vear-old Theodore Sarrica, who
was heading for his home, at No. fsl
Flushing avenue. The dog. finding him
the nearest object of attention az hand'
went for the boy
Theodore became aware or THIS when
the dog was within few yards, ana
with his eyes popping from fear got
s,-iftly under way, and would nave
escaped-for he had mounted the steps
vrha 81 lives
long i'm advance of the dog-had the
6oor knob responded TO his frenzed
touch. The dog bit him in the left arm
and. Theodore running next door 10 the
store of Morris Cohen. at No. 1893
Flushing avenue, gave pursuit.
Mad dogr screamed Theodore as he
dashed into the store and squirmed py
Cohen. who was behind counter
Whereupon Cohen, picking up a broom
on realizing that the dog would prob
ably get him sooner or later swung
the broom and tried to bring II down
on the mongrers head But his aim
wasn't good and the dog was lively,
so lively that II leaped at Cohen ana
nipped him on the right hand and then
sped out into Flushing avenue
Patrolman Thomas Burke had been
called into the general excitement, and
he got to Cohen's store at the moment
that the dog was leaving it. At the
corner of Humboldt street and Flush
ing avenue. a block from Broadway,
they met, and Burke pulled his re-
yolver. but the dog Jumped away
from him and started back 20 Batter
mans.
Burke ran after II and overlook the
mongrel in front Of the department
store. Again there was panic, and this
time several women tainted in their ef-
fort TO find safety behind the doors.
The Flushing avenue cars were halted
when the motorman of the first car saw !
the policeman holding a revolver
As the policeman tried TO draw a |
bead on the mongrel 1t jumped and bit |
him on the left hand and then on the |
right. which held the revolver. AS the |
dog slipped back Burke fired twice, |
killing the mongrel.
DR.. Cooney was summoned from ST /
Catharines Hospital TO attend Backer-
muth. Sarrica and Sohen. Their !
wounds were cauterized and they did |
not have 10 go to the hospital.