Boy Injured by Street Car Now Worries about Dog He Risked Life To Save: "Spotty," Self-Appointed Guardian of Southside Boys, Is Now Main Care of 13-Year-Old Owner, Who Is in Hospital Suffering from Injuries Sustained in Her Rescue. From The Pittsburg Dispatch 30 November 1922, page 2.
A hospital where boy patients can have their best
friends visit them, even if that means a fox terrier, probably is being
planned by 13-year-old Clinton Seeley of 1906 Sidney street, a patient in
Southside Hospital. Clinton risked his life Sunday to save "Spotty," his
fox terrier companion from death beneath a street car and while making
the rescue was struck by another car and suffered a compound fracture of
the left leg and other injuries.
But Clinton, who is a son of Mrs. Mae Seeley, is not worrying about his
injuries but is much concerned over "Spotty's" narrow escape, and the
hardest part of his forced stay in the hospital, is being separated from
"Spotty." Although Clinton worships "Spotty" and has often declared he
would give her his last bite, almost everyone in the neighborhood in
which the Seeley's live would fight for her, for they all know how
"Spotty" is trying to break up the dangerous sport of stealing rides on
street cars which the boys of the carefree age will do.
Pulled Youths From Cars.
In fact, "Spotty," her teeth fastened in the clothing of a Sidney street
urchin, was trying vigorously to pull him from the fender of a street car
when she endangered her own life, and her little master was injured while
going to her rescue.
"Spotty" first took it onto herself to discourage the dangerous practice
of "hopping cars" several months ago. At first she would merely bark at
the companions of her master when they stole rides on the rear end of
cars. Evidently deciding with her doggish logic, that the situation
called for more drastic action, she began pulling them off, and once she
set her teeth in the trousers or stockings of a boy on the back of a
street car she held on until he let go of the car.
The boys generally did not resent "Spotty's" interference with their
hazardous sport, although they knew it was useless to resist her
persistence when she decided to pull one of them from the fender of a
car. "Spotty" kept their good will probably because, vigorously as she
went at her task, she never as much as grazed the flesh of one of the
boys.
Boy Knocked Unconscious.
Sunday Clinton, with the dog at his side, had just left his mother's
house when a car swung from South Nineteenth into Sidney street with
several boys clinging to the rear fender. Without hesitating "Spotty"
dashed after the car, and seized one of the boys. Fearing she would be
swung onto the other track and hit by a car going the opposite direction,
Clinton dashed after her and while trying to make her break her hold was
struck by the other car and knocked unconscious. "Spotty" was rolled
about the street but was not injured.
Clinton's love for his companion dates back four years, to the time he
adopted a wretched little puppy and was allowed to keep it only after
overcoming the usual parental objections to such an adoption.
No child was better cared for than was "Spotty" and Clinton attended to
her himself, not even entrusting her feeding to his mother. More than a
year ago Clinton's father died and Clinton was sent to New York to live
with an aunt who meant to send him to school.
Tearful pleas failing to overrule the decision of the aunt and Clinton's
mother that "Spotty" should not accompany him, Clinton went away alone,
after giving detailed directions to a younger brother as to "Spotty's"
care during his absence. As many as three letters were received by the
brother in one week from Clinton, all asking about "Spotty" and lamenting
the separation. But Clinton and "Spotty" were not separated long, for
Clinton's relatives realized that Clinton could only be happy in Sidney
street with "Spotty" near him, and soon they were again together and have
been ever since, except while Clinton is in school, and now while he
waits for the fractured leg to mend.
