February 1881, McKean County, PA
Miss Shearer, 16
Fatal dog attack: bulldog (pit bull-type)

Poverty Bay Herald
Volume VIII, Issue 1242
February 9, 1881

At Bradford Pennsylvania, on October 10th, Captain John Shearer of North Beaver having purchased a large bulldog recently, and the dog being very ugly, he kept it chained in the yard. It had taken a great dislike to John Wallace, a young man who was a frequent visitor to the Shearer family. On Thursday last Wallace went to the house. There was no one home except Captain Shearer’s sixteen-year-old daughter. She told Wallace that the dog had broken his chain, and was loose somewhere about the place, and that he (Wallace) must be on his guard. Wallace remained at the house a few minutes. Just as he was going away the bulldog entered the yard. Miss Shearer called Wallace back into the house, and told him to remain there until she chained the dog … Before Wallace could interfere the dog had torn the girl’s throat open, lacerated her bosom, and torn the flesh off her limbs… – Poverty Bay Herald