A PLAYFUL BULLOCK.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 149, 18 May 1877, Page 2

A PLAYFUL BULLOCK.

- , _ — ■- -» . The playful antics of some of the cattle which enjoy the 'pastures of the , Dunedin . Town Belt have been quire^'"' 1 thrown into the shade by the antics ot a specimen bovine in the quiet city of Launceston. The Cornwall Chronicle's special reporter, who careful'y followed up the light-headed animal, thus reports his doing's. He says : — " About two o'clock on Thursday, a wild bullock made a raid through Launceston not likftly to be forgoiten for some time. It was one brought from Circular Head in the steamer Devon, and on its arrival it had been taken to the pasturage in - the vicinity of the Punch Bowl, from whence young - Horder drove it to the slaughter-house, from where it escaped, and making- along* Upon-street, first attacked and injured Miss Constantino. It then got down Balfour street, and tore at a gallop across Portsmouth square (the brickfields), bearing down on Constable Kennedy and his brother, who were crossing- towards Frederick street. There being* no shelter, at hand they separated, and- the constable, who was in plain clothes, being off duty, seeing the bullock getting dangerously near his brother, took up a stone and hit the brute right on the forehead. The bullock immediately turned his attention to the constable,- and- pressed him so close that as a dernier resort ho < threw himself down as flat as he could ' on the ground. It was a dangerous experiment, for the horns of the bullock grazed the skin from the back of Kennedy's right ear to the forehead, drawing blood, and by the pressure inflicting a contusion on the forehead. It then continued its wild career across the square, up Bathurst street, between the gaol and police station, chasing every -, man, woman, or child it saw in its way, \ and a young man who took shelter ia j the doorway leading to Constable I Eddie's quarters, was pitched right into j a coalshed there. On its way up Pat- j terson street, towards George street, jt got close upon several people, though j all who saw it cleared the course very j rapidly. Unfortunately it overtook \ Miss Counsel, who was on her way to 1 Patterson street, and gored and tossed { her about until no hope was entertained' ( of her life, but her clothing saved her \ from injury, and after being removed i into Mr Brown's residence, ie was found f that the young lady, though severely [' shaken, was more frightened than hurt. '- Some scratches on her face were the worst wounds inflicted. The bullock •on entering George-street seemed more enraged than ever, and some persons ■ standing at the corner of Cameron street had barely time to enter the bootmaker's ■ shop there to escape collision with its ! horns. On rounding into Cameron street it got sight of a little girl weai^ft ; a red Hyde Park shawl, and it in^^\»ii diately made a rush at the colo\ . >| universally detested by bulls .and m j tte V locks in all climes. Had it not been \ for the bravery, and skill of youDg p Horder, the child would have been f killed, ile rode in gallantly between fthe bullock and the child, and, at the \-\ risk of having himself and the child I; gored, saved her, the bullock in its rush ithrowing the horse back on its haunches t and attacking him again and again. | H order's ,brave interference enabled two | bystanders to lift the girl over the fence |- opposite Dr Wigan's residence. The ft brute, seeing a number of persons on pleach side of the street, but protected f[ by the fences, seemed undecided what to do next, when one of the men named James Atkinson volunteered to tame tho , animal by some species of electro- I biology. He went up to it, making certain passes ir genuflexions, to whicli -7 the brute returned rather awkward ([ blows, and at last made a dart at At- fv kinson," and, striking him about the B centre of the body, tossed him high in fe the air, aud steuck him again as lie 1-: came down, heavily on. his forehead, |;; cutting it deeply. Then he made a l : rush to one side of the street, went jY back, and made another plunge at At- I. kinson, striking him on the right leg. J He then rushed to the other side of the «V street, and several volunteers, including I;: members of the police force, raised At- §7 kinson and removed him to the hospital. Jy Fie was bleeding copiously from the |i wound on the forehead, and was insen- fusible. It was reported in town that he |- died soon after reaching the hospital, | but although the wound on the fore- \-, head looked serious, Dr Murphy very promptly stopped the bleeding, and \ Atkinson walked. home to his residence ]/ in Margaret street. It is said one or two il - v of his rihs are fractured, but he pre- V ferred home to the hospital. The bul* t lock rushed into a yard adjoining the --•> residence of Dr Wigan, and Horder de- L tamed it there until Mr T. B. Prosser, |' serg-eant in the Launceston Volunteer | Artilleiy, armed with his rifle, and en- Y. tering the little cottage, took aim from a window in the rear, and shot the bullock right in the forehead."