New Orleans Republican., 1871-07-09

Requiescat.
Especial Correspondence of the Republican,
NEW YORK, July 3, 1871.
The great question in New York now is
the 'cat question: The ''new departures
of politicians, the Grant -Pleasonton EN-
broglio, and the Greeley candidature, arr
nothing to the great "cat agitation" which
developed itself in the court of specia
sessions yesterday, and on the decision o.
which question the woe of one million
citizens was turned to veal The pertur
bations of the London public on the Ginz
baby trial were nothing to the excitement
attending the trial of DR.. James NJ
Comins versus Bergh.
Ginx's baby excited the interest of the
Parliament finally caught the Ginx mania;
but the cat question involves the happiness
of laymen as well as priests-of saints as
well as sinners. Here Is
THE CAT QUESTION DIGEsTED.
Dr. Comins mild, benevolent looking
| gentleman, and a physician of some emf
nenee, lives on East Twenty street.
! Here for years he has followed the even
tenor of his way" until the present eat,as-
trophe brought him before the public. In
the rear of his house lawless droves of cats
have been wont to congregate, and in the
dead hours of the night some cats, without
fear of the law, have Indignantly disturbed
the slumbers of the denizens of Twenty
seventh street. Making night hideous" are
quiet terms, and do not express at all what
the aforesaid cats did in the rear of DR..
Comins' house. Now an action would not
lie against these cats, nor against their own
ers, parents or guardians, for as it came out
in the trial these especial cats were free
moral and immoral agents. They were own
erless, and no one ventured to assume to be
their guardian until Mr.. Bergh stood yes
terday and plead for their right of speech
vs. DR.. Comins.
Well, DR.. Comins bought some sharp,
strong fox traps, and soon his trapping
operations would have astOnished the early
settlers of Manhattan island had they been
present. Cat after cat departed. The NOR
tuary list among the Twenty-seventh street
cats was appalling. Mr. Bergh Jour cruelty
tO-animals Bergh) got wind Of DR.. COmins'
felinicides, the doctor was arrested, his
traps seized, and yesterday the case came
before Judge Shandley, one facetious Will
liam 7. Howe appearing for the defense,
and Mr.. Bergh-himself no mean lawyer
for the prosecution. The case involved the
happiness of a million citizens, and, of
course, created great excitement. Brother
Bergh's first witness was Lewis Francis,
whose yard joined DR.. Comins', the cat
slayer This is the testimony:
Justice Shandley: Well, Mr.. Francis,
what do you know about these defunct
cats?
Witness: On the seventeenth of May,
about seven o'clock in the evening, | was
sitting at my dinner, when, through the
open window, heard most excruciating
noise. jumped up and gave an exclama-
ton of horror and surprise. Fastened to
my grape vine was a cat writhing in the |
most excruciating agony
Counselor Howe: Please confne yourself |
to what you saw. His honor will be his |
own judge as to the excruciating agony
Witness: returned to the house and left |
it (the cat) there.
Justice: Did you see the prisoner there,
Witness: Not then. In about fifteen |
minutes heard a repetition of the same |
agonizing sounds, and, going out, l saw an
other cat fastened in the trap, going |
through the same gyrations. / watched it |
some time till it died.
Here Brother Bergh held up to view a
common fox trap, and asked the witness:
Was that the instrument of torture.
Mr.. Howe: l object to that question; in |
-,
Spanish nquisitiOn-though we're fast |
verging to it. We're talking of CATS not of |
men.
Witness: l don't know whether that was |
the trap or not.
Mr.. Howe: And that is all you know of |
cat number one! --,
Witness: That's all, except that the vines |
and arbOr were spattered with blood. 1t |
was shocking.
hocking-revolting. I've seen men hanged |
in this very yard. Did you return to din |
ner! 1t didn't take your appetite away,
did it!
Witness: l went back to dinner, but | |
couldn't eat much.
Brother Bergh: Did you see the defend
ant kill the first cat!
Mr.. Howe: Mr.. Bergh, let's proceed regu-
larly in the thing. The witness is in my
fine garden, hasn't he!
Witness: don't know.
MIR. Howe: Mr.. Francis, you are on your
oath. You have generalized this charge
and you're so honest you won't even swear
to the doctors garden. Well, now, what
would you do if you were continually be-
'ieged by a generation of catsl You'd
rather like it, wouldn't you!
Witness: / should not murder them as he
1lthnnOh / ha stu bad Ixv+l l,a,, 7
imatory bowling, and | really wished them
,ut of the way.
Mr.. Howe: Pshaw! Murder is for men,
lot for cats. To Justice Shandleyl-F0r
The present, your honor, that's all with this
witness. We don't deny the killing of the
,ats.
MERCIFUL BEATING.
Margaret Finnery testified that she saw
he cats trapped. She said that Dr. Comins
,ame out and beat them mercltully with
/ large club. l saw him take the cat and
Kill it,
Mr.. Howe: You say he beat it mercifully'
Margaret: Yes, sir.
Mr.. Howe: Mercifully! that's it. won't
'sk this witness any questions. Beat it
nercifully
Here Justice Shandley said, soto voce.
ia club every dog and cat in this city, if l
lad my way"
James Crosby having been called, said, in |
eference to the trap which Brother Bergh |
'ersisted in drawing into the case, though
was not the one involved, =" / saw that
rap in court
Mr.. Howe: We admit that trap is ours,
nd we're going to sue for it,
Brother Bergh: Do you admit that you
ave used 1t for catching cats!
Mr.. Howe: We do, sir; and we're going {
0 use it again.
NJ
remises on the complaint of Mr.. Francis, s
nd that DR.. Comins confessed that he had {