Plot

Josiah Brown and a few of the small town lights are seated in front of the village grocery arguing the merits and demerits of the present Congress when their attention is called to an article in the "Weekly Bugle," just published, warning the populace to beware of mad dogs. Each of the four remembers seeing the dogs in question and begins to feel shaky. A city sharp, a drummer from the east, who had arrived the night before, sees an opportunity to wake up Sleepy Hollow and at the expense of the superstitious of the corner grocery clientele. Accordingly he enlists the services of the tomp pump comedian and they tie tin cans to the two most ferocious-looking dogs in the village, who at once start on a rampage, running over people and creating more excitement than a circus parade in Mudville. Josiah, big and fat, was a special mark for the frenzied dog, and in the excitement loses a half yard from his trousers. He is more than sure that he was bitten. The whole town is in a turmoil. Going home, the family flies from the house; finally, almost exhausted from excitement, he is roped by the populace and tied on a chair. The town constable sets as a death watch to see that he does not chew the ropes off. The dog is killed and shipped for examination. Three days later a telegram is received that the dog had no hydrophobia, but was only suffering from a case of fleas. Josiah is released amid general tumult and returns to the fond embraces of his family.—Moving Picture World synopsis