DEAD SOLDIER’S DOG

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1931, Page 3

DEAD SOLDIER’S DOG

STORY OF tA DEATH SENTENCE. •;;. V v •. ' ? * i ; . i iREPRI'BYE AND NEW. HOME.. j. * ■ ORDER FROM SCOTLAND YARD., ' A pathetic story of the saving of th . life of a dog—after her master, an ex- . soldier, had taken Ins own life in London —is told by the- Daily Express.. ft was •Florrie’s master who sealed what he expected to be the fate of his faithful little pal. He scribbled a note in his death agony: “I hope someone will sen that my only friend ,ard pei, (Florrie, is put to death as. soon, as possible.” .When the tragedy came io light Flor rie had sat beside tfie body of her oh m^§A er o j l l \ro,ij gh ft l a y«. isßUlu fl Ifi' '/'-r’ silent and watchful. There .was twopence in the .room;-The old soldier had . come to the .'end of his struggle. Twice Flortrie was taken,.to the police station, bul she ran back to. the tragic-room to wad for the master- who had often gom without food himself to buy her meat Florrie escaped the lethal chamber Hundreds of telegrams offering to-pro wide the dog with a home followed tin story of' this tragic, homeless pet wher it was published. 4 The animal is now in the home of Mrs Frank Braharn, o 'Chelsea. It was the coroner for Stepney (Dr G L. Guthrie) who signed the order re prfeving Florrie’s life. Dr Guthrie hac held the inquest on ‘the ex-soldier, anc knew the sad circumstances of the tragi* little home in the squalid Bethnal Creel backwater, where the man and his dot had lived together. “I will do anything I possibly can t( save this dog’s life,” Dr Guthrie said Then he sat down and wrote the ordei authorising the dog to be released fron ' the Dogs’ Home at Battersea. And whih all this was going on the- body of Flor lie’s dead master was being buried in t pauper’s grave. People had visited the dog’s home al through the day eager to rescue Florrie Mrs Frank Braharn, who arrived at f a.m., was still there waiting when th: coroner's order was received. * Then came a new and unexpected difficulty. The officials of the home were only too anxious to hand over Florrie, j hut the dog was technically the property I of the commissioner of police until seven days had elapsed. Colonel Laurie, assistant commissioner, interested himself in the matter, and finally, the chief of the 'Scotland Yard C.-I.D. (Sir Trevor Bigham) gave his decision—the dog was to be set at liberty forthwith. The gate of iFlorrie’s cell was unlocked —the dog rushed out and her new owner seized it and clasped the animal affectionately in her arms. Florrie went home to Chelsea in Mrs Braharn's motor car along with a handsome pedigree wire-haired terrier which . is to be companion of the unwanted East End ipet. The dog’s new life will be very different from the life she led in the miserable attic- in Bethnal Green. (Everyday she will be takee-n along with her aristocratic companion for exercise in the park, and whenever the latter goes for a ride in Mrs Bra ham’s car /Florrie will go too.' “There will be no class distinctions,” said .Airs Braharn joyously. ‘T shall try and make up in kindness for all. this poor faithful little pet of this ex-sol-dier has had to undergo.” Florrie, as she went speeding along the road in the car, looked out of the window with wide-open wondering eyes. It was her. first ride in a motor car.