The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-01-12
A MUCH SURPRISED CAT.
The Exciting Results Of Setting on
Burglar Alarm. =

'Ae EAcltlng Results Of Setting on
burglar Alarm.
A big six-toed cat which belongs to
Jackson & Co., the furriers on Ire
mont street, set off their automatic
burglar alarm last night and created
no end of disturbance there. Pussy
is OF a shy and gentle disposition, and
has never courted publicity, and the
attention which her actions drew to her
last night has probably made her re-
solve never to go near a burglar alarm
again.
Since the day of her birth she has
never been outside the store. In the
daytime she sits about in the store
II shames the rich furs with the
gloss of her own skin; and in the night
She prowls about, upstairs and down,
IN a tireless search for rodents, for
she is a skillful ratter, and takes great
pride IN keeping the store free from
these vermin.
1t was this prowling last night which
was the cause Of her publicity. AT
ter everybody had gone home, and the
store was dark, she went her rounds
without event until at about IL o'clock
she happened to go down the cellar
stairs. If she had gone down as she
usually did, n step at a time. all
would have been we'll, but she prob
ably thought she saw a rat, and, be-
Ing in a hurry, jumped for some dis
lance, %alighting on one of tile bottom
steps. Never, never again will pussy
do such a thing. The three bottom
steps Of the stairs are arranged to set
off the burglar alarm when any con
siderable weight is put upon them,
and the impetus of her jump was suf-
f1cient to achieve this result. In an
instant the whole store was filled with
the binding glare Of the electric lights,
turned on by the alarm, and the great
gong owe the door was changing out
its harsh warning.
The first persons on the scene saw
the store brilliantly lighted on the in
side and a temporarily insane cat tear
Ing about from floor to counter, and
from counter to shelves, in a vain en-
deavor to get away from the fierce
glare and the hideous noise. People
gathered like magic. Theaters were
just out, and the streets were more
crowded than at any time after 8
o'clock. Clear up as far as West street
the noise of the gong could be dis
tinctly heard, and all the policemen on
duty anywhere in the vicinity came
rushing toward the store, followed by
the people from the theaters and the
omnipresent crowd which seems to
spring out of the ground when any
thing happens at night. In a few mo.
ments more another gong was heard
and the patrol wagon came up Ire
mont street with the horses "a tile
run. and two more patr ,lc'en hanging
to the seats. 'Patrolman Burns, IF Di-
vision ., soon had the dor open, and
the crowd prepared to see u number Of
desperate men dragged forth. A dill
gent search for the burglars began and
the store was ransacked from top to
bottom, but without result; and the
policemen were finally forced to the
conclusion that "it was the cat" Pa
trclm:ln Burns stopped the alarm and
turned off the electric lights, but he
could not quiet poor pussy's n .rves.
When seen at the store this morning,
the cats eyes were as big a, saucers,
and she had evidently not nearly re.
covered from her exp erience of last
night.-Boston Transcript.