This comes from Steven Levi’s The Human Face of the Alaska Gold Rush:
In Nome, circa 1900, a sheepherder claimed that the dog of lawyer and musher Albert Fink had killed 28 of his sheep. Fink countered that his dog had “repelled the attack of these bloodthirsty ship, which disfigured [his dog, Dick] forever and nearly killed him.”
The sheep, Fink declared, had clearly been gored by their neighbors in the mad pandemonium.
Just after the case was remitted to the jury, the offending herd of sheep came thundering down the street and Fink had to tackle his malamute to keep it from leaping in the herd to slaughter more sheep.
“Poor old Dick,” Fink said in a calming tone as the courtroom erupted into laughter. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let those wild sheep hurt you.”
The jury found for Fink, who would later go on to help defend Al Capone.
