A SUICIDAL DONKEY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1589, 22 January 1884, Page 3

A SUICIDAL DONKEY.

It has always been thought that man possesses one point of superiority, if it can be called so, over the lower animals in- alonb that ho is capable of committing suicide. Men's sole claim to this sad privilege is now assailed from a quito unexpected quarter, The "Paris Prix," of the 12th insfc., gives particulars of tho suicide of a donkey which was recently witnessed by about ft dozen persons, who aro one and all convinced tho animals death was premeditated and intentional. The unfortunalo quadraped, which was reduced to a condition of skin and bono,, from eating too little and working too much, managed to escape from his stables in tho Eue do Ohardonnerot, and made for the Seine, into which ho entered near tho Point d' Austevlix. A man who happened to bo giving a Newfoniitlland dog a bath close by,'per- . ceiving that the donkey made no effort , to swim and was on tho point of ; drowning, despatched' the dog to his

1 assistance. Seizing the drowning f animal's ear in his mouth, the dog vWintmoged to bring him. to land. But to The donkey looked round with his large sad eyes, and quietly walked back into the water. The dog was again sent after him, but this time tho donkey kicked out so vigorously that his preserver could not approach. The donkey, once beyond his depth, resigned himself to the action of the current, made no movement to sustain himself, and was speedily drowned.