Incident of the Rabid Dog Epidemic in Fulton County.
Canton, Ill., May 24. An exciting incident of the mad dog epidemic now alarming the people of Fulton County occurred near Breed’s station on the Toledo, Peoria and Western railway, yesterday afternoon. John Byno was driving to his home at Breed’s. When within a few miles of town he heard the pounding of hoofs and a strange, squealing sound. Upon looking around he saw a huge white mare following him at breakneck speed. A stream of green saliva was running from her mouth; her eyes and nostrils were widely dilated, and she was giving vent to horrid cries as if in agony or rage. The truth flashed upon Byno that the mare was mad-a victim of one of the rabid dogs in the neighborhood. He applied the lash to his horse, which was now trembling and whinnying with fear. But the mad brute gained rapidly, and in a few moments was biting and snapping at the wheels of the buckboard, at Byno, and the horse. A Toledo, Peoria and Western train appeared in sight, and the mad mare jumped the fence and chased the flying train for some distance. She fell into a fit and was killed.
Byno says the mare followed him nearly five miles, and although he constantly beat her in the face with his whipstock the brute kept close to him. The people of Breed’s were horrified at Byno’s story, and dogs are being slaughtered without regard to value. It is feared that much valuable farm stock has been bitten by rapid dogs.
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