The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-21
MERCY FOR THE BEAST.
HUMO 2OUS FEATURES OF AN
ANTI-CRUBLTY SOCIETY.

! Sick Pets Are Disposed OF in a
Wooden Box Filled With Gas-Get-
ting Cats Out of Tree Tops.
From the Pittsbur0 Dispatch.
New York Aug ban old woman
walked into the rooms Of the So
cietv for the Prevention Of Cruelty
70 Animals the other day with
parrot il basket. Polly took perch on
a corner OF the superintendent desk.
Cooking one eye at his mistress, he said,
YOU'RE a fool" She paid no attention to
this remark, but went on to say that the
bird was sick and that she wanted him de-
stroysd. At this Polly exclaimed, "You're
a liarn He followed this up with q TRADE
of oaths and vile phrases. Then the old
woman burst into tears and confessed the
fact.
Her brother was a sea captain, and he
had brought the parrot from South Amer
lea. 1t was the old story. The sailors had
taught it to swear and use abominable Ian
guage. Being an exceptionally apt pupil,
its repertoire of cuss words and improper
expressions became su rprislngly large. The
old woman received the gift OF the bird
with delight, but presently it assatled her
with the most outrageous and abusive epl-
thets. Unfortunately, she lived in house
where there we're mAhy other dodgers, and
Polly did not hesitate to swear and vilIfy
them as WE'LL calling them all sorts of I'M
printable names. Thus he made such a
disturbance and occasioned 80 many COM
plants that his mistress finally decided that
he must be killed aud brought hin to the
society for that purpose, However, Supt.
Hankinson refused TO accede TO the
request.
HOW THE ANIMALS ARE KILLED.
Often as many as a dozen postal cards
and letters g received by the society in
mornings mail asking that cats be called
for and destroyed, besides which many peo-
pie oring their sick pussles to the office for
the same purpose. In response to such
communications the officers call promptly
and take away the animals in an amOu-
lance specially constructed for that pur-
pose with shelves and baskets that will
hold twenty-five cats at a trip. 1t is the
same way with dogs. Small ones are put
in the baskets, while a big dog can repose
comfortably on straw at the bottom OF the
vehicle IL the creatures are i'll or injured
beyond recovery they are placed in
wooden 4-foot cube made Of oak and lined
with zinc. Ordinary Illuminating gas is
admit ed to the box by a tube, and the
beasts lie down and die painlessly without
N@SJ $3.50 ~
watched through a glass door ia front AT
the end OK a minute, or at most a minute
and half, they are past suffering.
All kinds Of animals besides dogs and cats
are killed in this manner at this request of
| their owners, the list including squirrels,
canary birds, white rats, and even pet
snakes. Some people might consider 1t
| sufficiently osremonIous in the case OF
snaSe TO chop the reptiles head OF, but this
is not the way in which the society looks at
such things. Its services have been demanded
| occasionally TO slay elephants. Because
they are too big TO go into the gas tank,
| they are shot through the heart with ex-
plosive bullets, from an elephant gun. II a
cat or dog is run over in the street and
| helplessly MANNED, 1t is usually shot on the
| spot.
| AN INCoRRTGIBLE MONKEY.
There are remarkable scenes sometimes In
| the rooms Of the society on Twenty-second
street near Broadway. One day ABOUT six
weeks ago an Italian was brought In by an
officer with a monkey and a raccoon. Both
| animals were trained to go for pennies
while their owner ground a hand organ.
| People had sent in complaints to the effect
that the raccoon was in wounded condi-
tion from bites inflicted by the monkey.
During the colioquy that ensued between
the organ grinder and Supt. Hnnk-
inson, the monkey which was a very large
|
he picked up the Bible on which witnesses
are made TO swear, and proceeded 70 per-
use its pages apparently with great stten-
ton When the Italian said that the mon
key was very quarrelsome aud could not be
Kept from attacking the racooon. Mr. Monk
seemed very angry, chartered savagely,
and threw the copy OF the scriptures with
great force at tho head of his master, who
only escaped being hit by lodging promptly.
Then he grabbed the heavy office inkstand
and threw that also, following IL no by
leaping at the Italians throat Mr.. Hank
inson thinks he would have killed the organ
grinder II there had not been assistance at
hand, so ferooious was the assault. The up
shot OF the affair was that the man was
permitted to take the monkey away, while
the raccoon was retained by the society,
cured OF its injuries, and finally given away
to lady who made great pet of it.
KILLING MEN TO SAVE CATS.
The society is freq uently called upon 30
rescue cats from trees. There was such a
case the other day, which made great ex-
element in the newspapers. 1t particu-
larly dislikes that kind of work. In the
first place, the cats can come down as easily
as they went up. if they want to. Sec
ondly, trying to get them down is usually
attended by danger For example, last
winter a cat was in q treetop on Twenty
second street within half block Of the Off
ces OF the society. 1t miaou we'd, and dog
ems Of people appealed to Mr.. Hankiuson In
its behalf An officer was sent to climb the
tree, which was slippery. He fell down and
dislocated his shoulder. More sympathetic
complaints came in. Another officer, at
the risk of his life, was sent to climb the
tree He got nearly to the top and the cat
ran down to the ground on the other side
In descending, the second officer tumbled
and was very badly bruised.
Women have all sorts OF queer notions
about their cats. One old lady brought a
sick pussy to the society the other day, ask
ing that it be destroyed. When an officer
came to take it away in a basket she fell on
her knees and prayed for the animal.
FIGHT WITH A STUFFED DOG.
gentleman in this city owned a big
Newfoundland dog. The animal attacked
him aud would have killed him il he had
not been rescued he had the beast shot
and stuffed artistlealIY by a taxidermist.
Thus mounted In Hfe-like attitude, it was
presented to the society and was set up in
the vestibule as an ornament. One day a
big massitf came in the front door, saw the
stuffed newfoundland aud Immediately at
tackled it. The fight which ensued was ter
rife At the end of about five minutes the
mastlff tore open the stomach of its adver-
sary, and the sawdus5 poured out on the
floor Then for the first time the mastiif