KILLED BY BULLDOGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 15

KILLED BY BULLDOGS.

AN ELDERLY WOMAN'S FATE. FALL OF A CLOTHES PROP. TERRIBLE CRAWL TO SHELTER. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] SYDNEY. Aug. 20. A more terrible fate than that which overcame an aged woman in Melbourne this week would be difficult to imagine. She was attacked by three bulldogs and so severely bitten that she died from the injuries and shock a few hours later. The victim was Mrs. Christina Olsen, aged SO years, a native of Norway. She lived at the home of Mr. Ernest R. Allan, of Preston, a dog fancier and breeder. The dogs, which hitherto had shown no disposition to attack either man, woman or child, were allowed to exercise in the yard. Mrs,. Olsen was alone in the house at tho time of the tragedy. It is surmised that she went into the yard to bang out some washing. While doing so the prop supporting the clothesline fell and Mrs. Olsen's action in stooping to raise it again is believed to have caused the bulldogs to think that she was about to attack them with a stick. At all events, by almost a concerted movement, the three dogs sprang at Mrs. Olsen aad knocked her down. Their teeth bit . into her and the poor woman's bhrieks arose above their deep, angry growls. Women neighbours were attracted by tho screams; but they all feared to enter the yard, so menacing was the attitude of tho dogs. They did the next best thing—they made threatening sounds. These attracted the dogs from Mrs. Olsen, who turned over with her face to the ground. Then ensued for the aged woman a terrible crawl to safety. Too weak to regain her feet, too exhausted even to proceed at a fast pace on hands and knees, Mrs. Olsen dragged herself painfully along the ground to the back door of the house. Inch by inch she opened this, until she was able to thrust herself inside, at the same time keeping the dogs, who had once more approached her, from entering. A few minutes later, polico arrived and took Mrs. Olsen to hospital, where it was found that she had been terribly mauled and bitten and that she was also suffering from severe shock. Late that evening Mrs. Olsen died. The dogs were destroyed.