Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-03-11
ALANYER'S START.
A Dead Cat that Brought Him Fame
and Fortune.


The narrator is prominent in has
profession here, and had attained a
high position in the east before seek
ing the west as far back as 1852. His
gray hair and long contact with dusty
propositions have not quenched his
love for a joke, and his keen eyes
twinkled merrIly as those of his aadi
tors while he was uAreeling his
yarn
Il learned my trade, he began sin
little New York village, but mani
tested no particular aptuess for the
law, and barely scratched through nay
examination. My shinele was not
henored with call for many months
and when did get one it was from a
member of my own family. One of
my brothera, Frank, had craze for
poultry, and raised fancy breeds with
great success until an old maid moved
into the adjoining house, and her pre-
datory cat began to decimate his cost
~ chicks at fearful rate. Frank re-
monstrated, but in vain and finally
made desperate by the loss of an en-
tire Matching he poisoned the cat
The old vinegar-faced female that
owned the Thomas feline raised a
fearful row over pets death, and as
Frank was rather loud in congratulate
ing himself on getting rid of the
chicken destroyer, she had little
trouble in tracing the cats fatal ill
ness. There was only one way to
reach Frank In law to her mind, and
that was by criminal prosecution. and
she accordingly caused his arrest on a
charge of indictable misdemeanor,
brought under section of the penal
code similar to the one in this state
that provides that a person found
guilty of administering poison to an
animal the property of another" shall
be punished by fihe up to $500 or to
Imprisonment up to six months or
both Well, the case looked black. The
cat was certainly an animal, and
Frank had freely admitted admins
the fatal dose.
Nobody disputed the right of the
cats owner to prosecute, and count.
The pages of every statute book IN the
town, hardly knowing what / sought.
Finally a paragraph was found, set
ting forth that an animal, TO be prop
erty, must have a valuation fixed by
law. Turning to the ratings of ami
mails in the section on the larceny OF
i've stock l found that dogs were
worth q dollar in law, sheep and pigs
little more, and horses, cows, etc.
suf1i cient to make a theft of them
grand larceny, but not aword was
said about cats. An idea struck me
and l braced up my miserable brother
by ytelling him that | could easily
wipe cut the foul accusation that be
smeared his fair fame, and he went
into court. The old girl didn't she'd 8
tear, but she swore very stoutly
against Frank, and then introduced
all the people who had heard Frank;
confession as witnesses Then / intro
duced my demurrer. "Your honor,
said 'this complaint charges the de
tendant with poisoning an animal
the property of another" and quot
ed the section on which the accuse
ton was based Cats, sir" l went on
have no value in law, and therefore
can not be property. | move for z
dismissal on this ground"
Frank was acquitted on the SPOT,
and one of The best lawyers in New
York city, who was present, was Sc
struck by the plea that he offered me
place in his Office. Under his tut
ton soon began to appreciate my
profession, and his help started me tC
the front at a rapid rate"