The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-20
TEE CAT SAVED MANY LIVES
1t Scratches Burning Paper and Wood
From the Chimney.

1t Scratches Burning Paper and Wood
From the Chimney.
From the Ns,o York World
A black and white cat, which a couple Of
weeks ago was driven from its home in a
tenement house at No. AS Bedford avenue,
Brooklyn, after purring on its bearthstone
for two years, came back at 8 80 o'clock
yesterday morning and saved the lives of
eight families. The facts are stranger than
fiction, but are vouched for as being true
Hugh ONeil, a l5-year-old boy, is an
Eastern District telegraph messenger, and
usually reaches his home at an early hour
in the morning. The cat was always
favorite Of Hugh, and when his father put
the cat out of doors about Christmas Hugh
looked IN vain for the animal in the neigh
borhood.
But when he returned from his work yes
terday morning and had entered the door
OF the Kitchen the cat sprang at him. The
cat was thrust aside repeatedly, but it re-
turned to new aud rub against his Leg
Repeatedly repulsed, it became desperate
and tore at the leg Of his trousers with its
open claws.
About the room were pieces of wood and
paper, which had evidently come from be-
hind the stove, where Mira. ONeill left them
to light the morning fire.
Hugh O'Neil's suspicious were aroused at
the actions of the cat and then for the first
time he noticed a smell of burning wood =.
Aim ct at the same time he saw smoke
issuing from between the cracks Of the fire.
boards at the rear of the stove He aroused
the inmates of the house, and as his father
tore the boards loose out burst flame and
smoke. 1t took considerable water to ex-
tinguish the flames.
The house is 4-story brick tenement,
and every room was crowded. The eight
Co. IL
the tre was opportunity discovered the fiue
had almost burned out and the flames ex-
tended TO the third story.
After the flames had been subdued the cat
jumped on the open window. mewed, looked
back pitifully among the people whom she
had lived for two years and then jumped
out into the snow.
Hugh O'Neil. who is cobbIer and occu-
pies the first floor with his large family
when told by his son how the cat acted said /:
Just before you came in ! drove the
cat out of my room. Three times it jumped
on my bed and mewed and scratched at the
bedclothes just before heard you open
the door had got out OF bed and locked it
out OF my room. OF what a lucky thing
you came when you did. We might ali
have been in ashes nowW
Then it was that the fifty people in the
house recognized that the cat had probably
saved their lives. The fragments OF paper
and kindling wood scratched away from the
stove by the cat showed where it had tried
TO get at the fire.
A search Cor the cat found it shivering in
the snow. looking up ct the windows of the
home from which it had been rudely
thrown on Christmas eve Il was called
but would not come, as if realizing that it
was not welcome.
Mrs. O'Neil walked out in the snow and
took it up in her arms. Il pressed against
her bosom and when once agsin in the
warmth Of home purTed forth gratitude.
Now 1t is the hero Of the neighborhood and
has throne on the cobbler's hearth, where
it purrs almost necessarily.