Shoaf - Solomon - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

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Shoaf - Solomon

Source: Crawfordsville Review, 27 April 1889

Solomon Shoaf, a young farmer living in Parke County met with a horrible death Saturday. He was bitten some time in February by a vicious dog but not much was thought of it until last Thursday when he became ill while in the field plowing. He went to the house and told his wife he thought he had the hydyophobia, his arm being swollen and very painful where the dog had caught him. He grew worse and had severe spasms. In these he would attempt to bite everything near him, making a noise something like the barking of a dog and frothing at the mouth. He was then handcuffed and tied with ropes to keep him from doing himself bodily harm or injuring others. His arm before he died was of unnatural size and the poison had turned it black, while his throat was very much swollen and sore. He died a terrible death. He was 31 years old and married during the winter, and was liked by all. The same dog that bit Shoaf also bit a boy by the name of Myers. He is now sick, and his hand is painful and shows almost the same symptoms that Shoaf did. These are the only genuine cases of hydrophobia ever known in Parke County and have caused unusual excitement in the neighborhood – kbz
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