The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-31
CATS LAST REFUGE.
NARROW QUARTERS TO WHTCH THE
BAND OF MERCY mas NOW RETIRED


In one Of the tiny apartments Of big. old
fashioned tenement over on the west side the
much prosecuted Band OF Mercy who devoted
their time and talents to the rescue OF unfor-
tunate cats has Withdrawn until the storm OF
oppression which rewarded their eelf-sacri-
ncinR efforts to reduce the supcrfiuous cat
population to the smallest common denomlna-
tor has blown over. The tiny place has deaf
and dumb warden with a white face and big
Wild eyes. who is surrounded all the time By
so many cats and kittens she doesn't know
what to DO. You might as well question the
cats as to inquire OF the white faced girl. for
she will neither hear nor answer you.
But ono day last week there was woman
there who could talk. and wanted to talk. and
wanted THE Sun to print every word she said.
too, to let the people see Just what Kind Of
man Mr.. Haines. the President OF the Society
for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals, Is.
Tho woman was the mysterious patron who
has supplied tho funds with which the Band OF
Mercy did Its Rratuitous good work in tho
cause OF the feline race, and. incidentally. for
the good Of humanity as well. She was not at
all the stamp OF woman OF which this midnight
band Of cat executloners is composed. There
were we'll fitting gloves on her shapcly hands,
borders OF fur on her handsome garments, and
a lorgnette tucked into her belt And while
she talked big black Sir Thomas rubbed his
| glossy head against her shoulder in a perfect
| abandon OF alteration.
III had money enough would prosecute
| Mr. Haines for his llbellous talk" she said.
Here he says tho Midnight Band Of Mercy
was out for the stun. Now, we have never
| asked anybody for q dollar in money. and
never received anything for our work either.
We did IL all for the sake OF the poor. untortu-
nate cats. Many and many time Mrs. Ed
wards has gone clear to Brooklyn to kill some
| body's pet cat that was Ill and suffering or to
| rid n yard OF tramp cats that were starving
| and suffering and annoying people. and never
| received even the car fare she paid out going
and coming. 1 have known her to go to Brook
| Ign and to Harlem on the same night and to
| places where rich people had sent for her. and
| never have them offer her so much as
| her car fare. have known her TO spend
| night after night in n single yard catching
| tho poor frightened wild creatures that were
| mad with their suffering and wrongs and
| afraid OF human beings because they had
| never received anything but torture from
| them. Do you suppose Mr.. Haines's men In
| their sleek uniforms would sit on the doorstep
OF tenement house until 2 and o'clock In
| the morning to catch a wild tramp cat to save
| 1t from being poisoned with Rough on Rats
| Now. Rough on Rats doesn't kill cats at once.
| 1t produces terrible irritation OF the stomach
and leaves them to sufler and die by inches
-" Of course his men will 60 Z they are sent
Tor to XII fine l9dy,s pet Kitten that the doc,
all through the long summer to feed the lady's
pet cat, left at hong to starys While che Is hay.
the streets nights trying to feed and remove
from their sufrerinRs the poor; stnTved. sick
among So N the o Little iRs oSdron? WSSd one Of
them 20. as Mrs, Edwards has gone to AsOury
after week. to Kin Of the wild cats that ihs
people leave behind them to 60 mad with
been b1sD twice to AsSury Park. and STAYED
weeks at time a. her own EXPENSE
cats out. OF their SIR suffering. During tie last
month have sent her ) II worth Of chlorotorm
there; That looks ns j. we were out after the
| stun doesntitp Just before she went away
saF Ss ddn Ssn t.
had grown SO wild through the summer. And
Catching thas cat and bro9ght It down dow here
because We eant XIII the sH t any more 1}Ec and
| me as II Mr.. Haines was after the stun him.
sell. and was afraid the Band of Mercy might
his work without he Is begging Tor money,
That was never done n NJ Mr. ti hsrERs lie
horses For years they have dragged their
poor old bones up and down that avenue past
ciety, with sores under their harnesses and
not halt enough to eat Immediately after
spoke Of that fact they sent their men down
there and found seventy-tve horses unable to
ssn ns aH Sas tS0 shs ss0 wS @
thing Ike that go on for years without looking
the poor little cats that are not owned b. a
"Mr Hsines said. too. that tho destruction
OF cats and dogs by unauthorized persons
would lead to the destruStion OF net cats and
dog Now Mrs; Edwsrd sa6 never killed pet
cats do not leave them providing round the
streets at NIGHT l have seen Mrs EdWards
Il and ring every bell 10, the block to see ii L
had home. II II didn't, she put It out Of its
to be we'll fed and didn't look quite like tramp
her face and tell her they threw the cat out
because they wouldn't have the dirty little
Mr.; Haines said. too. that we were Inexperi.
enced In the kiLlinG ofcats; Mrs. Edwards Killed
20 see any one OF Mr. Haines's men that has
had as much experience as that. Those men
il away and iii il But they SH cant u eaten Wild
eats Taking care OF cats is a woman's work.
T TSs saht expect man b to have the PStdenis
don't believe there Is anybody else In the
world that can handle cats like Mrs. Edwards;
In the first place. she Is perfectly fearless, and
then there seems to be "a mysterious affinity
between her and them; never went out with
eat as TO s save my lie q but have bsSa With Mrs
Edwards many times in the daytime. saw
rubbing itself along the stones on its stomach
and seemed to be in such agony. screaming
and splitting. She picked the poor thing NJ,
and found that some one had covered itASith
turpentine. and II was burning the poor cat to
death She put 1t In her ehlOrofoTm basket
Just minute and its cries ceased. In three
minutes IL was dead. Now. II she had waited to
80 and notify the Haines men. and waited Tor
them to get out their ambulance and come for
the cat the poor creature would have eTaWled
OF into some hole to suffer until death came,
and there to pptrsiy before the people found T.
i was with her another day when she
picked a eat out OF a bonfire. where some boys
Lad fastened 4, with one poor little raw
burned of I'D the other cracked open with
the heat. She killed IL in minute. Isuppose
she should have lot those boys 90 on with their
tiendish work while she went and told Mr.
llAiness society. We had that cat in court the
day OF Mrs, Edwards trial. but Howe a. Hum
mel never let us produce it We paid them q
good price for their work. but the case Was
very badly managed. and our witnesses were |
not allowed TO testify. IL does seem strange |
that little handful OF women that love cats |
well enough 10 sacrifice their money and time |
and very lives to their cause should be prose-
euted Tor H. Nobody else wants TO proWl around |
the street nights taking care OF them. Nobody |
likes to hear them howl the fence at night