A dog;often referred to as a man’s best friend;proved this assertion Wednesday afternoon;Feb.27;1929;when searchers finding the lifeless body of James Hixenbaugh in his little home at the Belmore Plan;North Belle Vernon also discovered the dog;a common ordinary cur lying at his dead master’s feet. Faithful until the end;the animal resented the intrusion of the searching party and growled and snapped when efforts were made to reach the body. It was found necessary to kill the animal before the body could be removed from the house. Jimmy Hixenbaugh and his dog were inseperable companions and the two shared alike the comforts of the little frame home. Hixenbaugh and the dog as were their usual custom spent a great deal of time about the Dryer meat market in Belle Vernon. Jimmy doing odd jobs and aiding with the delivery while the animal found the shop a good place for a meal. They were last seen at the market Saturday evening and when Monday and Tuesday passed without any signs of the two;Mr.Dryer feared that all was not well and sent an errand boy to the little home to investigate. The boy was unable to gain admittance to the house and did not get any response to his repeated knocks on the doors and windows. He spread the alarm and a crowd of men went to the house about 2:30 yesterday afternoon and forced an entrance. In the bedroom of the house they found the lifeless body of Hixenbaugh;evidently a victim of a heart attack. The dog;seemingly with an animal instinct;realized that his master was in distress and without food or water waited at his feet. The resurers wanting to remove the body to an undertakers walked towards the form of the dead man only to be met by the snarls of the dog;who jumping on the breast of his dead master snapped and growled at the intruders. It was impossible to reach the body and a revolver was secured and the faithful animal again joined his master when a bullet was sent through his head. The dead man had been a resident of Belle Vernon for years;being the son of Charles and Malissa Hixenbaugh. He was the last surviving member of the family in the territory and his remains will be laid to rest in the Belle Vernon Cemetery Saturday afternoon;March 1;1929;following funeral services which will be held at 2:30 in the Toner funeral parlors.