Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-19
A FEROCIOUS CAT
Plays Havoc in Strange House-A FIERCE
sFieht.

New YORK, June 1S.-John Loen-
bardt. of No. 131 Third avenue brooh-
lvn. conductor on the Thlrd avenue
surface cars, had most dlsagreeaolo
evnerience with cat at O'CLOCK yes
terdlv morning, and is now laid up WIN
his right hand bitten to the oohe' n gu
other bite equally severe Is on inc oi7
toe of his right foot, and he nas i,inu
merable scratches on his arms ana lesS'
Dr Hogan. of No. TAI Third aveaue'
who is attending Loenhardt, fears serl-
ons results. As yet no signs OF hyuIo-
phobia have been manifested
T,oenhardt lives on the top noor OIL d
three story house that is one OF row;
Inst before ; O'Clock he was awakened
NV tho screams of his ten-year-olu
daughter Minnie. Jumping out oil oeu
he rushed to the side OF MS daue utei'
who. with her mother slept IN announcer
he'd in the same room. Percheu on inc
cbild's breast was an enormous tortoise
Shell cat. that spat furiously as Loeh-
bardt sought to drive it away.
Then the war began. Loenhardt
seized the cat by the tail and threw IL
70 the floor He then attempted TO
grasn the now furious animal by the
1ock Int the cat twisted her head ana
snnk her teeth in the back of his hand
Meanwhile Mrs. Loenhardt was scream
ing ,,,-,. ,,,ila
cat here al,
Mr. Loenhardt was too busy to yell,
for in three minutes the cat had oitteh
him seven times in the hand. He man
aged IN shake the cat off, but as 1t fell
to the floor it bit him deeply in the big
toe of his right foot.
Then the cat, exhausted and severely
beaten. Law on the floor as though dead,
bnt no sooner did Mr.. LOenhardt reach
down TO throw it out OF the room IMAM
il bit him again on the left loot ana
tore through his heavy red nannel
underclothing, badly laceratlng MS legs
with its claws.
Nv that time Mr.. Loenhardt was COW
cred with blood and all the neighborS
were aroused, but frightened by the
cries of wild cat" feared TO come IN
side the apartments. Finally the cat
ran into the kitchen and was locked IN.
MIR. LOenNdTuI ran W Il vi u5 sun "''N
had his wounds cauterized.
TWAS not until he bad been doctored
that Mr.. LOenhardt aScertained how the
cat got in. The animal belongs to Mrs.
Engeman, who lives two doors away.
At night the cat rOams around the roofs
and comes down the scuttle and scratches
at its mistress door when IL wants to go
to bed. As soon as it is admitted the
cat Jumps on the foot of Mrs. Engeman'
bed and goes to sleep. Yesterday the cat
evidently mistook the house, and when
il jumped in Minnie Loenhardt's bed
only meant to 60 TO sleep.
When Mrs. Engeman heard OF what
had occurred yesterday she came over
for her pet that was still locked In the
! kitchen. She opened the door and the
cat purred, arched her back and rubbed
against her mistress with every sign oil
pleasure at the meeting. Although Mr.
! LOenhardt has obtained a permit tC
shoot the cat he will not do so unless
| the animal shows signs of madness
When | saw him last night he was
seated i'm chair with both feet and hi:
right hand bandaged. The hand was
/ SWtiiluB, anu bllC pdOlOhV NO'A' P'"'"~N w.
pains shooting through the bones o.
his right arm. The bitten toe wa;
quite blue and painful, An inconsider
ate friend had told Mr.. LOenhardt OF
the death of Lawyer Bartine at Asbury
Park of cat bite, and as result the
injured man is nervously expecting the
worst, although no actual evidence OF
| rabies is vet apparent.
| saw the cat. an unusually large
one. but the animal showed no signs OF
excitement and seemed as quiet and
composed as though the taste OF human
blood was an every day experience
Mrs. Engeman is very much worried
and declares that il Il door had been
opened for the cat TO escape there
would have been no trouble at all, anc
Mr.. Loenhardt thinks so, too, now, anc
is sorry he did not try persuasion in
stead of force.
The animal will be closely watched
and killed at the first sign OF mad
ness.
"LOenhardt'S nervousness is the thin
| fear" said DR.. Hogan; "but it will be
impossible to predict the result fol
some time yet"