U.S. Census worker, 71, killed by dogs
LandonEx
NASHVILLE, Indiana (AP) -- A pack of dogs attacked and killed a
71-year-old Census Bureau worker who apparently walked past warning
signs in an attempt to count the occupants of an isolated rural home.
An autopsy showed that Dorothy Stewart died from injuries sustained
during the attack, Brown County prosecutor Jim Oliver said Monday.
"This really is terrible,'' Oliver said. "That as a way to die is just
unthinkable.''
When sheriff's deputies arrived at the home Saturday afternoon, they
found Stewart's body about three feet from the front door of the one-story
log cabin, surrounded by dogs. The dogs were chewing on Stewart's
arms and legs, Brown County Sheriff Dan Huesman said.
Deputies counted more than 20 dogs.
The home is about a mile from Stewart's home along a winding, gravel
road just within the boundaries of the state forest. The driveway is posted
with "Beware of Dog'' and "No Trespassing'' signs.
"Some of the dogs were on chains, some were loose and some were in
the house,'' Huesman said. "We were able to capture at least 12 dogs.
We captured as many as we could.''
One dog was shot because it attacked an officer, Huesman said.
Investigators were not sure how many of the dogs belonged to the
homeowner, W. Newton, and how many were strays.
"They have denied that the dogs were theirs,'' Oliver said. "We have
reason to disbelieve that. Mostly because the complaints indicate there
were always many more dogs there than the few that they claim to have.''
Oliver said the investigation into Stewart's death will continue and he
hasn't ruled out criminal charges. He said Newton was fined in 1994
for violating the leash law and numerous other complaints had been filed
regarding dogs running loose around the house.
The state of Indiana and Brown County have leash laws that require
animals to be under the control of their owner.
A phone call to the only Wayne Newton listed was not returned, and
Oliver was not sure if Newton had retained legal counsel.
Stewart was an active figure in the community and lived alone, said John
Knight, the manger of a nearby gas station and grocery store. He said
she could often be found walking along the side of the road picking up trash.
"Mrs. Stewart, I think she did a great deal for the community,'' Knight said.
"Someone that takes the time to go out and pick up trash and stuff, that's
a pretty good person.''
Across the country this year, 440,000 Census Bureau workers have been
following up on the 42 million households that did not return a questionnaire.
Census employees are required to call on the houses to collect data, though
during training they're told not to put themselves in danger.
"We put a premium on the safety of employees and respondents,'' said
Census spokesman Steve Jost. "This and any other death of a census
employee is a real blow to morale. The census family gathers together
in this tragic instant.''
Officials at the Census Bureau's national office in Suitland, Md., said six
other fatalities of on-duty census workers have occurred since Jan., when
operations for this Census began. Five died in traffic accidents and the
other one died of a stroke.
Numerous injuries have been reported, including one two weeks ago in
which two census workers were seriously injured in a crash near
Charlottesville, Va. There have also been several cases of workers being
shot at or chased away by homeowners.
AP-NY / 06-13-00 05:04 EDT
=L=
Brian Watson
"LandonEx" <land...@aol.comnospamno> wrote in message
news:20000613145604...@ng-bg1.aol.com...
> Dog Attack Kills Indiana Census Worker
>
> NASHVILLE, Indiana (AP) -- A pack of dogs attacked and killed a
> 71-year-old Census Bureau worker who apparently walked past warning
> signs in an attempt to count the occupants of an isolated rural home.
It's only a matter of time before something similar happens in England.
There is an increasing tendency in some of the remoter parts of
Cambridgeshire, for example, to have dogs roaming around on private property
as guard dogs without any formal training of the dog or the owner.
The presumption seems to be that anyone who comes within range *for any
reason* is fair game for a bite.
The death of the census man suggests otherwise.
Now, I guess, we await the responses of all those who reckon the poor old
guy got just what he deserved.
--
Brian
Bob
Brian Watson <postm...@spheroid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:960962660.2213.0...@news.demon.co.uk...
The census taker certainly didn't deserve to be killed by the dogs BUT one
must question his decision to enter the yard with 20 plus dogs eager for a
meal.
Richard Belcher
"Bob" <Plan...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:8i7v9r$l38$1...@nntp9.atl.mindspring.net...
>
> Brian Watson <postm...@spheroid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:960962660.2213.0...@news.demon.co.uk...
> >
> > "LandonEx" <land...@aol.comnospamno> wrote in message
> > news:20000613145604...@ng-bg1.aol.com...
> > > Dog Attack Kills Indiana Census Worker
> > >
> > > NASHVILLE, Indiana (AP) -- A pack of dogs attacked and killed a
> > > 71-year-old Census Bureau worker who apparently walked past warning
> > > signs in an attempt to count the occupants of an isolated rural home.
> >
> > It's only a matter of time before something similar happens in England.
> The census taker certainly didn't deserve to be killed by the dogs BUT one
> must question his decision to enter the yard with 20 plus dogs eager for a
> meal.
Her, it was a 71 year old lady, who was very active in the community, she
even went around the roadsides collecting trash. Apparently a lot of them
were actually strays, in the country dogs form packs and are known to chase
and kill livestock.
Stephen C. Propes
I was assigned to "enumerate" held a rather weird dude - that was
obvious from the signs he posted in the window, handwritten, hardly
legible tracts about issues of the day. I spoke to him once, he was
recalcitrant, instructed me to return the following day. As I left, I
noticed 2 dobermans being restrained by a rather flimsy driveway fence
next door, licking their chops as they barked at me.
Next day, I returned, dogs still barking, salivating, etc., I noticed
they'd managed to slightly reduce the barrier of the flimsy fence. Man
wasn't home. We had been instructed to visit each home 6 times, at
different times. Twice was plenty for me. I wrote a memo that no
enumerator should visit in the future unless they relished the role of
becoming lunch. Don't know what became of this spot, but I sure didn't
visit again.
Steve
>
> Dog Attack Kills Indiana Census Worker
>
> NASHVILLE, Indiana (AP) -- A pack of dogs attacked and killed a
> 71-year-old Census Bureau worker who apparently walked past warning
> signs in an attempt to count the occupants of an isolated rural home.
>
Charles A Lieberman
Brian Watson
>Now, I guess, we await the responses of all those who reckon the poor old
>guy got just what he deserved.
Well, she was, after all, furthering the Government's plan to take over
the country.
Frankly, this story confirms what I've long thought about dogs.
--
Charles A. Lieberman | "I hate to seem inquisitive, but could you kindly
Brooklyn, NY, USA | inform me who I really am?"
| --_The Importance of Being Earnest_
http://calieber.tripod.com/home.html