Year: 1874

Fearful Career OF a Couple OF Ma d Dogs


i'm Chica gO-Over Twenty Persons


and More than Forty Dogs Bitten


Great Excitem.nt Among the Deni-


Zens of the North Side.


THE existence of a mad dog excitement in
the city OF Chicago is unfortunately not rare.
In that city attempts have been made to take
a dog census, but those who have made the
undertaking have always been Obliged to give
up before its completion because Of its mag
nitude 1t is safe to estimate the number of
dogs in that city at 100000, aud it is not sur.
prising therefore that an excitement occasion
ally sweeps over the city like an east wind over
the prairies. In this case there was reason for
it, as the following facts abundantly justify.


About seven o'clock on a recent morning a
large yellow dog was seen running frantically
along Starr street, in the North Division of the
city, frothing at the mouth and swapping at
every person or animal that came in its way.
There were but few pedestrians on the street,
and the most of these were children who were
out at play or going on errands. The grown
people who saw the mad animal seemed
paralyzed with fear, and, instead of endeavor-
ing to stay the animals deadly career, sought
safety in flight. The brute rushed upon num-
bers Of little children whom it met in Its rabid
career, and bit them wi h more or less
severity. Every dog that it met received its
peculiar attentions, and Starr street resounded
with the yelping of the poor bitten brutes. The
"yaller dog" was having things it's own way,
and made triumphal progress down the street,
driving everything before it and inspiring ter
ror far and wide. The news finally reached
the police station, and an officer was detailed
to look after the animal. He found 1t and at
once gave chase. The dog ran out on the
prairie, south of North avenue and west of
Clybourne, keeping just out of pistol range
and stopping now and then to bite a brother
dog or a child. Once the officer came near
enough to fire with effect, but he only wounded
the animal, and the frantic beast sped along
faster than before. Reinforcements inally
arrived in the persons of two additional offi-
GERS, and the three men assumed their speed
lest gait in their efforts to oyertake the brute.
But it still kept out Of range, and logged
along, swapping at real and imaginary
enemies, and yelping with the pain that
the wound gave it, The chase was long and
exciting one, and all the observers who were
old enough to be sensible Of danger " cleared
the track" and made themselves exceedingly
scarce. The officers were pretty thoroughly
exhausted before they overhauled the dog at
last They were nearing the city limits, and
were pressing hard upon him, when the ami
NAL suddenly jumped over fence and ran into
a house, bringing CONSERVATION to the women
folks, and sought refuge under bed, where
1t glowered and growled at its prosecutors as
they surrounded it. well-aimed bullet gave
1t its quietus. 1t had crowded into two hours
a big davis work even for a mad dog 1t had
planted its fangs in the flesh OF more than
twenty persons, had bitten nearly forty dogs
and had led the officers who pursued it a
chase Of several miles and an hour and half
In duration.


About the same time in the morning, in the
precinct little further south, large dog,
frenzled with hydrophobia, attacked little
boy who was delivering morning papers on
Clyboune avenue and bit him severely on the
hand. Policemen were soon on its track, and
1t was killed before 1t had wrought such ap-
palling mischief as did the animal whose ex-
ploits have just been narrated. Its rayages
were fearful enough, to be sure, for 1t sue
eeeded In biting hye persons, all children, and