The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-25
cor OPENED THE RAT BAG.
He Thought the Owner a Thief, and
That 1t Held Swag.

From the New York Sun.
This is the story of thrilling midnight
adventure with policeman which ]. H.
Fisher, a professional rat catcher, told
yesterday:
On Wednesday night, Mr.. Fisher says,
he visited club on Fifth avenue in the
neighborhood of Twenty-third street,
where he had contracted TO rid the din
ing-rooms, kitchen and cellar of rats. Mr.
Fisher intimates that it was a very swell
club, but will not say whether it was the
Union Club or not. Any way, he had the
contract, and he worked from s o'clock
in the evening until midnight, with the
result that he bagged about fifty rats
Mr.. Fisher never kills rats on the prem
ises where he catches them. No good rat
catcher would, he says. At his home he
has a machine of his own manufacture
which will make away with 100 rats at
clip, and. accordingly, at 1890 O'Clock,
he started for home with mis- bag of rats
slung over his shoulder. While he was
passing the corner of Twenty-third street.
he says, policeman on the opposite cor
ner came over toward him on run.
'Ha, ha!' said the policeman. accord
ing to Fisher. where are you going?"
None of your business Fisher said he
replied
Then the policeman, touching the bag
lightly with his club, said:
so, that's the swag, is it?'
Nary swag," answered Fisher.
Ha, haw said the policeman again,
and what have you got in the bag,
then?"
Rats" yelled Fisher, and he solemnly
ayers that the chances of the policeman
taking offense at the reply never occurred
to him at the time.
But the policeman did take offense. There
was not commissioner in sight, so he
gently upper cut Mr.. Fisher, thereby rous-
ing that individuals Indignation
How dare your" began Mr.. Fisher but
a punch in the neck quieted him. Then he
felt the bag pulled from his shoulder and
saw the policeman, a smile of triumph on
his face, undoing the mouth. A moment
later the policeman got the bag open and
plunged his hand in as far as he could
get it.
I'm a fraction of a second says Fisher,
the policeman pulled his hand out, and the
rat catcher says that there were at least
seven rats hanging to it.
Wow! Wow!" yelled the policeman, and
scattering rats in all directions. The re-
scattreing rats in all directions. The re-
manning forty-three rats took the tip from
their companions. and one after another
leaped from the bag and made their es-
cape.
For a few minutes" said Mr.. Fisher
solemnly, 1.-The street was full of rats. They
didn't scare me at all, for l am used TO
them, but you should have seen that cop
dance around. Oh, it was too funny! Ha!
ha! har'
Mr.. Fisher wound up his tale with WV
i'd description of the policeman running
across Twenty-third street, his coat tails
flying out straight behind him. There was
no work for the rat killing machine that
night Mr.. Fisher said in conclusion, and
he returned home with an empty bag.
No one of the Tenderloin policemen will
admit that he had an encounter with rats
on Tuesday night and Mr.. Fisher says
that he forgot to take the policeman
number. He will not make any complaint
to the police commissioners, he says, be-
cause he thinks the joke was all ON the
policeman.