Following our earlier post about the wonderful rat killer, Billy the dog, we found this in the newspaper some months later. It seems, even though Billy’s rat killing feats have been brought into question, he was still the fastest in the world! It doesn’t say, however, what happened to Billy’s owner, Mr. Dew. . .
“It has been generally understood, and bruited* about, that the dog Billy has killed one hundred full-grown rats in less than seven minutes! This is true; but in proportion as the wonder has increased, so will it subside, when the cognoscenti are informed, that by a skillful preparation of opium, these rats have been so deprived of their usual ferocious power of resistance, as to fall an easy prey to the efforts of the famous Billy. This fact we have from authority. The immense sums lost are referred to the Jockey Club. – Sunday Monitor.”
The Stamford Mercury, 9th January, 1824.
*rumoured.