8. Old Blue
Chris walks into a pet shop, looking to buy a dog. Sean, the owner, tells his about his wonder dog, Fang.
What’s so special about him? Chris asks.
Sean replied, He’s smarter than some people, especially lawyers, salesmen or politicians. I’ll ask him a question. What covers a house?
Roof, came the reply from Fang.
Chris smiled but wasn’t convinced, so Sean continues with the question, How does sandpaper feel?
Ruff.
To that answer, Chris begins to leave.
Hating to lose a sale, Sean asks Chris to wait a minute as he had one last question for Fang. Who was the greatest baseball player that ever lived?
When Fang responded, Ruth, Chris departed.
Fang then looked at Sean and says, Maybe I should have said Josh Gibson, but I have problems with two-syllable words.
That may be a joke, but the intelligence of canines certainly isn’t.
When you’re away
I sit her and mope.
Won’t you come home,
You big dope?
Don’t blame me for the poem above – I’m not a poet. The four lines showed up a few years ago in a Valentine card for Pat, who shared a modified a-frame with Barron, his loyal German shepherd, Harry and me. The three of us were teachers in downstate New York. I didn’t write those four lines. Maybe Barron enlisted in a writing class or Harry tutored him in English. Harry claimed he didn’t pen the poem. I doubt that Barron did the writing and I didn’t either. This was one of a few adventures with this canine.
At the time, teachers weren’t that well paid so the three of us did a great deal of cooking. I recall the time we worked together making marinated eggplant. It involved a great amount of effort, even though there were only a few ingredients: eggplant, olive oil, garlic, vinegar and salt. The result was delicious and the culinary delights were also evident one day when we had a roast of beef. We didn’t eat it all, but made a big mistake when we left the house that day. It remained on the counter and Barron wasn’t a vegetarian. You get the picture.
Some time after that, I decided to make some cannoli. Somehow I obtained the aluminum tubes – these had nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) – so I started making the shells. It was a good start and the filling was next. I chose to add some chocolate bits, which had to be mixed in to the other ingredients. Using the blender to do that wasn’t a good idea as the result was watery, making filling the shells difficult. For the three amigos to throw food away was a rare occurrence, so we did some dipping. Barron didn’t partake of the dessert, but he did carry an unfilled shell up to the loft, where Pat slept. He laid it gently on Pat’s bed, just for his master.
Barron was not like some watchdogs that sit around and watch as burglars vandalize a house. When Harry and I first met this German shepherd, Pat had done a superb job of training him and we all got along very well. Anyone approaching our temporary residence when we were away would have departed quickly after a few menacing barks. Friends of ours who visited us were treated much better and didn’t have to worry about getting tetanus shots afterwards.
Leland Duncan was born in 1893 in California to Elizabeth and Grant Duncan. Three years after that his sister Marjorie came into the world. Before the century ended, Grant left and wasn’t heard from again. Lee’s father may have died from a burst appendix. Soon the children were left at the Fred Finch Children’s Home since Elizabeth couldn’t raise her son and daughter on her own. The century ended in a depression as well.
Lee had been abandoned and survived despite what happened. He and his sister were only in the children’s home for three years. Lee was affected by Finch in a good way and would never forget where he had been for that time. The Duncans moved in with Elizabeth’s parents. The boy’s grandfather had ranch dogs, but Lee was kept away from them. His first dog, Jack, a small terrier, came later and Lee was thrilled. He discovered he liked dogs and could work with them. An Airedale named Firefly was another of his dogs and Lee was involved in breeding her, selling the little ones.
When Duncan was seventeen, he entered the army. After some training in Texas, Lee departed the boat in Glasgow for a train to England. In the war, about sixteen million animals were used: camels, horses, mules, oxen, pigeons and dogs. About a third of the animals were dogs, many donated by the citizenry. Canines were used for many missions and a few had a label placed on their necks that said, useless. Most of these were shot. Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz was responsible for breeding German shepherds near the end of the nineteenth century. It soon became a familiar dog.
Lee found himself in France in Fluiry when he entered a building that served as a kennel. To his shock, he saw over twenty massacred dogs. He also found two pigeons, which he released. He heard whimpering dogs and discovered a female German shepherd with five puppies, which he brought to safety. He gave the mother and three of the puppies to fellow soldiers, keeping a female and male for himself. Bringing the two puppies home was a challenge but eventually he arrived in New York with them. His next task was to take them to California by train. Nanette had to stay behind because of sickness, but Mrs. Leo Wanner would take care of her until she recovered, at which time she could join Lee and the male puppy, who had another puppy as a companion. Sadly Nanette died.
The male puppy grew and was strong even though he was undersized. In a competition with a shepherd named Marie, Rinty cleared the wall, which was almost twelve feet high, while his opponent’s back paws struck the top. Acquaintance Charley Jones filmed the event and Lee received a $350 check for it from Novagraph, a newsreel company. Lee chose the name of Rin Tin Tin for his dog, based on one half of a pair of survivors from a Paris railway bombing. The survivor’s companion’s name was Nanette, which Lee also gave to the puppy that accompanied his puppy to the west coast. Other names for Lee’s shepherd were Rin-Tin-Tin, Rin-tin-tin, Rinty and Rin. The canine soon was on his way to Hollywood, thanks to Jones. Lee wrote screenplays, including Where the North Begins. Rinty managed quite well in silent films – the talkies were a few years away.
Rinty’s first role was in the Man from Hell’s River, followed by a small part in My Dad. The dog landed the leading role in Where the North Begins, which Warner Brothers produced. Rinty wasn’t the first dog star, but he was inspired by Strongheart and soon many others followed including Fang, Ace the Wonder Dog, Wolfheart and Flash. Film critic Carl Sandberg said that Rinty was Phenomenal and thrillingly intelligent. A fan wrote, Rin Tin Tin registers more range of emotion than any other dog actor known to the screen has attained. His films brought in so much money that he was paid more than seven times what the human actors received. Rinty even had his own radio show, The Wonder Dog. He was a character in books such as The Little Folks’ Story Of Rin Tin Tin.
Just as actors have stunt doubles, many of the German shepherds people saw in Rinty’s flicks were look-alikes. This practice occurred for years. Similarly, when the talkies premiered in the late 1920s, many actors didn’t make the transition. Rinty also was given his walking papers but he still captured the imagination of adults and children. He had more to do, obtaining fewer dollars but staying on the silver screen in the talkies. Lee took him on the vaudeville circuit and there were numerous tours. Some of these dogs were the original Rinty, but many were his offspring or other German shepherds that just wanted to be part of the family. Lee and Rin Tin Tin – or some German shepherd – performed for children and Lee often mentioned his days at Fred Finch, stopping there and doing it on the first stop of the tour.
In the summer of 1932, Old Rin died. Death notices were posted in theaters, newspapers and Movietone’s newsreel. He was deeply missed but descendants filled the role with the same success. Bert Leonard came along with television and soon Rinty had a new medium, in which he flourished, just like the others. The program, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin premiered on ABC-TV on October 15, 1954 with overwhelming praise. In television history, few shows surpassed it in climbing to the top of the ratings. It was broadcast in 70 other countries and just about everybody knew the dog’s name.
There will always be a Rin Tin Tin. Born in France at the time of World War I – which resulted in a million orphans in France – he has never died and will go on forever. Susan Orlean spent years researching the Rin Tin Tin story, which covered almost a century. She talked to descendents, associates and friends of Duncan, but no German shepherd was interviewed. She wrote a book about the dog, Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend.
A five-year old untrained German shepherd named Buddy, who is a resident of the city of Anchorage, Alaska, showed how smart he is in the spring of 2010. Ben Heinrichs encountered a fire on his land. His clothes caught fire, but he put it out by rolling in the snow. Knowing of the danger, Buddy summoned help. Alaska State Trooper Terrence Shanigan spotted our hero and followed him to the scene. Ben was slightly injured but without Buddy, the Heinrichs family would have lost their home. The latter knew that this German shepherd was gifted because on other occasions, he scared bears away while Ben was hunting. For his outstanding service, our hero received a big rawhide bone and a stainless steel dog bowl.
Another really smart German shepherd is Rex, also known as Rexy and Sergeant Rex. As you guessed it, he was in the armed services, even attending boot camp. He stayed with a family as a puppy, but only for a short time before he left for training. Eventually he met Sergeant Mike Dowling at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, but only growled at Mike. Dowling soon won Rex over and they became part of a K9 team. These duos were used in Vietnam and would be deployed to Iraq in the early twenty-first century. Besides German shepherds, Belgian Malinoise, or Mals, and Dutch shepherds are used by the Marine Corps for K9 teams.
Mike hailed from Richmond, California, and loved animals when he was young, with pets Murphy the Irish setter and the cocker spaniel, Brandy. Dowling worked with a Labrador named August at Guiding Eyes for the Blind. He thought about joining the Marines but went to the University of California at Santa Barbara, soon flunking out. Joining the Marines he was soon to meet Rex. As mentioned earlier, dogs have an amazing sense of smell and can detect explosives and munitions, saving lives. Rex and Mike were sent to Iraq in 2004 to find Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). They stayed throughout the country, starting out in Mahmoudiyah, the Triangle of Death, but also spending time in Fallujah.
Rex was a small shepherd, but he was handsome. People commented on that and the children loved him. Just like Rex had needed time to accept Mike, anyone else who came close to him would hear growling and may even have been bitten. That happened often. The dog needed assurance from Dowling to be calmed during explosions and gunfire. He could detect the nasty stuff, though. A mechanical bomb-detection device could detect too, but not as good as a dog. The canine was much more efficient since you could talk to him. He could find explosives so much quicker than a machine, which didn’t have night vision.
The IEDs presented quite a challenge since Rex could find one, but then someone watching could set it off with a cell phone, killing both him and Mike. However, locating an IED and having the team disarm it would save lives of the Americans and the Iraqis. That was their job. They looked out for each other and both were confident, talented and scared. Who wouldn’t be? The 2008 movie, The Hurt Locker, is also about disarming bombs, but I didn’t and won’t see it, even though it won six Oscars. I don’t think there were any K9 teams in the flick.
After leaving Fallujah, Rex and Mike returned to Mahmoudiyah. On his original visit, he met Suray, an Iraqi translator, and they had many conversations. He was the beneficiary of her family’s cuisine – you can just take so many Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). Dowling was separated from Suraj for a while and was anxious to see her again. When he asked another marine about her, he was told that she and her family were murdered for working with the Americans. What a waste of innocent lives that was. Mike wondered why he was in Iraq in the first place.
He and Rex were only to be in Iraq for six months. As they were close to leaving, Sergeant Brian Stokes called on the team for another mission. Then Brian called Mike a not too nice name and was serious in telling him that he was on his way home, first stopping in Al Asad. Stokes left but an IED detonated on top of his vehicle during an attack. Mike wouldn’t find all the details until later. The half-year had too many close calls for any K9 team. They were in firefights and saw too much turmoil, but they uncovered IEDs and bomb building materials. They had saved many lives and done well in the country.
He and Rex had been through hell and survived. Only one of them could talk – actually, Rex did communicate with his master in a way very few humans could understand. They cheated death numerous times but put their lives in the other’s hands (paws). Rex never got a medal only because working dogs can’t receive them in the U. S. military. Today, this amazing German shepherd is still a military working dog in Camp Pendleton. Before that, he went on two more combat deployments.
When Dowling returned home, he made his first stop at Camp Pendleton. He took Rex to his kennel and gave him food and water. Mike removed Rexy’s battered collar and made these observations:
It is so broken in. I reflect on what it’s been through, and what that signifies about Rex and me in Iraq. Our bond is stronger than ever now, man and dog. We know each other in a way that I might never know a fellow human being. Our understanding is instinctive and primeval and it runs so deep.
Stokes would call him and give him the details about his vehicle and the IED. Brian returned to school, attending Appalachian State. He was an integral part of the football team that won NCAA Division One championships in 2005 and 2006. With the help of Damien Lewis, Dowling wrote about Rex and Iraq in his book of devotion and dependence, Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between A Marine And His Working Dog.
The movie, Ace of Hearts, is based on a novel of the same name. Ace is the K9 police dog who goes after people who do nasty things, such as steal jewelry and whatever they can find of value in homes. They don’t need keys and are the worst example of pop-ins. Ace is smart and doesn’t harm the thief, but only holds on to him until he can be apprehended. Usually, he won’t even leave teeth marks on the thief, unlike those of Jon Voight, which were left on the arm of Kramer in an episode of Seinfeld.
In the motion picture, Ace is played by not one but two German shepherds – that’s how intense the role is. Though the story is fictitious, there are numerous dogs in real life just like Ace – many in law enforcement. Ace winds up being placed on death row for inflicting harm on a person who is actually the villain. I won’t give away the ending; if you get a chance, watch the flick, which I think you’ll enjoy.
Tommy is a truly amazing seven-year old German shepherd who lives in Italy. For some time he accompanied his master, Maria Margherita Lochi, on errands and to church every day. Sadly, Maria died, but without anyone else leading him, Tommy was at the funeral at Santa Maria Assunta Church in San Donaci. Months after her death, whenever the shepherd hears the church bells chiming, he goes to church, attending Mass. He sits peacefully at the front of the church and doesn’t bother anyone. No one complains and parishioners have given him food and water, adopting this devoted dog. Check out the short video at barkpost.com/loyal-dog-goes-to-church.
In November 1941, brick maker Carlo Soriani found an injured dog along the road in Luco di Mugello in Florence, Italy. Carlo brought him home and restored the dog to good health. He and his wife kept the dog and named his Fido, which translated from the Latin meaning faithful. Once Fido was OK, he followed Carlo to the central square in town. Later, when Soriani returned from work on the bus, Fido was there to meet him and the two went home. This went on for a couple years, each day.
In December 1943, the area, including the factory where Soriani worked was heavily bombed and Carlo was killed. That day, Fido was at the square but his master didn’t get off the bus. The faithful dog went home and for over a decade he went to the square, waiting for Carlo. He did this until the day he died. Many were aware of Fido, with magazines, Gente and Grand Hotel writing about him. There were several newsreels of the Istituto Luce about him. Before his death, the mayor of Borgo San Lorenzo presented a gold medal to Fido in the presence of many town people, including Carlo’s widow. A few months before, Time magazine had an article on the dog. A four-column front-page article in La Nazione was written after Fido’s death.
Fido may have copied the behavior and faithfulness from a nineteenth century Skye Terrier named Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh, Scotland. Bobby’s master was Policeman John Gray, who worked as a night watchman. When Gray died, he was interred in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. Rumor has it that Bobby spent fourteen years guarding his owner’s grave, doing this until he died in January 1872.
A few years before, Lord Provost, Sir William Chambers, who was a director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Scotland, paid the license fee and presented Bobby a collar, which can now be found in the Museum of Edinburgh. You can find a commemoration to the dog in a statue and fountain at the end of the George IV Bridge. Books have been written about Bobby and you can see two movies about him, Greyfriars Bobby from 1961 and more recently, The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby of 2006.
Numerous musicians have recorded the song, “Old Blue”, including the Dillards, Byrds, Dink Roberts and Pete Seeger. There even seems to be one song of the same name unrelated to canines. Naturally, the ones we’re interested in about the dogs that are faithful companions. Many others have performed songs about canines but I don’t think Three Dog Night sang any songs about them.
Perhaps the title of the chapter should have been the Lobo song, “Me & you & a dog named Boo.” In the canine world, a nine-year old black lab with that name may not have the sight he once possessed, but that doesn’t stop him from being a great teacher and healer. He’s a therapy animal. He makes a difference around ailing people just by being in the room with them. He is gentle and caring. Young and old feel his presence. Sister Jean, a ninety-four year old resident in Ossining, New York, said very little and couldn’t be reached by those around her. That changed when this black lab made an appearance. Sister Jean petted Boo, and before long spoke for the first time in years, uttering the words, Hello, Boo.
Youngsters Erich Schneider and Christopher DiSilvio were also greatly changed when Boo entered their lives. Erich was having difficulty brought about mistakes he made – he was close to tears. After a few months he became a changed person with more confidence thanks to our black lab. Christopher had severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with a very short attention span. Meeting Boo resulted in his soon being able to sit for an hour without fidgeting. This lab is one wonder dog. He’s not the only one.
As reported by Pete Donohue, Erik Badia and Rocco Parascandola of the New York Daily News on December 17, 2013, Cecil Williams, blind and 60 years old, and his guide dog, Orlando, a black 11-year old Labrador retriever, stumbled onto the tracks of the New York subway at the 125th Street platform. The flagman Larmont Smith and others of the Metropolitan Transit Authority shouted to lie down in between the rails, which both man and dog did. Orlando helped Williams scoot beneath an oncoming train. There were minor injuries and Smith commented that a matter of seconds could have resulted in a tragedy. Afterwards Cecil said, I feel that God, the powers that be, have something in store for me.
When Williams fell, Orlando stayed with him, when he could have departed. He was even in St. Luke’s Hospital with Cecil. The guide dog saved his life, which the 60-year old acknowledged. Orlando was unhurt and was called a true hero. Cecil’s girlfriend, Cynthia, said: He’s doing great. He’s feeling fine. He’s resting. He’s under observation right now. Numerous people admitted that they had witnessed a miracle. When this occurred, Williams’ insurance would no longer cover Orlando’s care costs. As of the summer of 2014, generous people have come forth and Orlando will be able to stay with Cecil. If you’d like to help anyway, Williams said to contribute at guidingeyes.org.
Pransky is a labradoodle, so you can say that she’s a French Canadian even though she appears to be Russian. This cross between a Labrador and poodle came about in Australia in 1988, capitalizing on the friendliness of the former and the cleverness of the latter, without the hassles of shedding. Pranksy is cared for by Sue Halpern and the dog’s name and the maiden name of Halpern’s grandmother are the same. Sue and the labradoodle reside in Ripton, Vermont.
Unfortunately Pransky is not without fault as she sheds, but makes up for that with her intelligence. At times though, Halpern thought the pooch was bored. Sue didn’t purchase an iPad for the labradoodle but considered the therapy dog team concept. To obtain certification required passing a test with fifteen tasks. At first Halpern envisioned that as a goal beyond reach. She persisted, accomplishing one step at a time. Two challenges to any dog – both required tasks – were passing by food without salivating and remaining calm in the presence of active children. Eventually certification was obtained for Pransky and the next step was going to the County Home.
In the County Home, Joe was confined to a wheelchair, having had both legs amputated just above the knees. He called to the labradoodle and Pransky sauntered over to him. Joe rubbed her between the ears. Soon Sue and Joe were conversing on canine matters. This scene occurred over and over again as residents would call Pransky by name. Every so often someone might say to Halpern, Get that dog out of here, but in more colorful language. More likely people would relate that they had a dog once.
Residents visited by the pooch may have been shy and rarely spoke, but that changed quickly when Pransky pranced into the room. Men and women who had uttered few if any words soon learned the labradoodle’s name and beckoned her to come over. This meeting of humans and the canine benefited each of them and Halpern as well. You can read more about this amazing labradoodle in Halpern’s remarkable book, A Dog Walks Into A Nursing Home: Lessons In The Good Life From An Unlikely Teacher.
I mentioned Rin Tin Tin and we can’t overlook Lassie and all the dogs of television. Farfel wasn’t one of my favorites because he was a salesman. He sang a commercial for Nestle chocolate from 1953-1965, but should have known better. That stuff can kill dogs. I thought Dreyfuss, played by Bear the dog, was cool even though his name sounded too business-like. He seemed so lovable, gentle and carefree, despite his massiveness. I wouldn’t want to pay his food bills, though. Frazier’s dog, Eddie, was played by Moose. Don’t tell me these canines weren’t smart, being featured on so many television shows.
Jenny and John Grogan met in Michigan working on a small newspaper there. They married and moved to the east coast of Florida where he worked for the Sun-Sentinel and she wrote for the Palm Beach Post. They were married for fifteen months when they thought about the next step. Children were discussed but first the couple figured a pet would be good practice for parenthood. As children each of their families had dogs. Seeing an ad in the newspaper, they drove to a house that had Labrador retriever puppies for sale. They met Lori and Lily, momma of nine puppies. Lily was calm, beautiful and affectionate, impressing the couple.
They decided on a male and one came over to them and convinced them that he was the one. They could pick him up in a few weeks after he had been weaned. John asked where the father was. Lori said, Sammy Boy? He’s around here somewhere. Jenny and John left and couldn’t wait to bring the puppy home. On the way out the door, they saw a flash of something that moved past them and they were reminded of “Wild Thing” that the Troggs sang about. Somehow they felt that they had seen Sammy Boy.
One thing John and Jenny didn’t do for their decision was any research on Labradors. Eventually they found out quite a few great characteristics but also that the temperament of both the parents affected the puppies. The soon to be owners of the puppy had a difficult time agreeing on a name. Both enjoyed music by Bob Marley so one day they looked at each other and said, Marley. He now had a name but John decided that his full appellation would be Grogan’s Majestic Marley of Churchill, the road on which they lived.
Labs don’t come from Labrador. They were used in Newfoundland for hunting and probably came over from Europe. Known for their intelligence, devotion and gentleness, in addition to loving the water as they dive into rivers and lakes – despite how cold it is – they retrieve game and fish, without devouring their find. In 1990, the Labrador retriever was the nation’s most popular breed according to the American Kennel Club. In 2004, they retained that position, continuing so for fifteen years.
It wasn’t long before John realized that Marley had inherited much from Sammy Boy, the wild lab. He had a mind of his own and ate just about anything in sight, including paper, pencils, sheetrock – he managed his way through the walls – and chewed on furniture and pillows, making a mess and requiring numerous repairs to the house.
Life went on anyway and Jenny became pregnant. After a few weeks, she and her husband went to view the sonogram of the fetus. There was no heartbeat. After further tests, Dr. Sherman confirmed that she had suffered a miscarriage. When they got home, Marley wanted to play but John wasn’t in the mood. The son of Sammy Boy went into the living room where Jenny was and put his head on her lap. He was calm and his tail wasn’t wagging. She was weeping, but the lab was there to comfort her and remained there for a while.
Soon after the stillbirth, John took Marley shopping and he selected a bouquet of spring flowers for his wife. Stopping afterwards at a pet shop, he bought a chew toy for Marley. He could use it too. Once home, John had a surprise for Jenny as he reached to retrieve the flowers. Unfortunately, the carnations in the arrangement were missing. It’s obvious where they were. The Sun-Sentinel writer opened the jaw of the lab and found evidence of a carnation. That dog would devour anything.
It was time for obedience school. Maybe that wasn’t that great an idea as John had trouble handling the dog with a mind of his own. He disrupted the class and finally the teacher, Miss Dominatrix, decided to show the people how to handle Marley. Her efforts weren’t much better than John’s. The class broke up and John remained with Marley, but not for detention. She said that perhaps the lab was too young at that point to be trained. In effect, both were booted out of the class.
Jenny and John needed a vacation and the destination was Ireland, where they would spend three weeks without an itinerary. The problem was what to do with the hound, without having to inject a three-week tranquilizer. Finding a babysitter was tough but eventually Kathy, an office worker at the Sun-Sentinel, was chosen. She loved dogs and accepted the challenge so John made up an extensive list of instructions. John showed it to Jenny, who asked if he was crazy, saying it would force her to leave the state. Kathy saw the list and accepted anyway. The couple enjoyed the time in Ireland and when they returned home, Kathy was worn-out but surviving. Unfortunately the lab took advantage of her, knowing she wasn’t John.
For Jenny’s birthday, her husband bought her an eighteen-carat gold necklace and placed it around her neck. She loved it but a few hours later she noticed it was gone. Where do you think it went? Where else? Jenny saw what was hanging in the lab’s mouth and they knew. They surrounded him carefully but it was no use as he swallowed it. John figured eventually it would come out so he presented Marley with his favorite fruit, sliced mangoes. John had a routine of checking Marley’s deposits, using a stick and a hose. It took a while, but finally it came. Jenny sanitized it and the pair noticed how it shined. They considered a jewelry cleaning service, without revealing the method of cleansing, but that never materialized.
Jenny’s second pregnancy was successful when Patrick was born. The concern was how the son of Sam would react. After all, there wasn’t much he wouldn’t gobble up or at least chew on. He surprised everyone by his love for the boy. The gentle giant would lay down in the nursery with Patrick and became his protector, making sure no one harmed the baby. Jenny thought that he was a devoted canine and would protect her and John against all attackers.
Before Jenny and John moved into their house, there had been a brutal murder right across the street. That wasn’t the only one. One night John heard screaming so he rushed out and came upon a seventeen-year old girl who had been stabbed. Others from the area came to help, but they never apprehended the