New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-27
A CHILD MANGLED BY A CAT
LITTLE MICHAEL RICE FEARFULLf
CI.AWED AND BITTEN.
TIE ANIMAL. INFuRIATED by THE PRESENCE OF
DOG NEAR HER LITTER OF klIrENs'
ATTACKED EVERY LIVING THING
IN SIGHT,


Infurlated almost to madness a large female
Maltese cat attacked and frightfully mahgieu
little Michael Rice yesterday morning oi,'hs
and cawing and lacerating him TIL the oioou
ran from nearly forty wounds
The baby boy, only five years oid' was checi
fully playing about the floor OF MS iho'her
apartments at No. ]. .S64 Third-ave., wheh suuoeh-
ly the enraged animal rushed through the oooi'
sprang upon him a tiger springs uron doe'
setting her gstening teeth in his soit oaoy arm
The cats eyes flashed her hair stoop out st'aish'
from her body. her tail was bushed out 10 twice
its ordinary size AMI she yowled ana sp'' III
anger as she clung TO the tender victim
Screams of pain and terro; startied the
mother. who was at work in the next room.
With cry she rushed to save her baby from the
lnhriated cat. She caught up ironing hoard
and welding K with all her strength peat 'he
cat. but in vain The .nfuriated animal clung
% ber Youthful victim, setting her sharp claws
deeper In the soft flesh and tearing at the babys
face
Finally Mrs Rice tore cover from table
and threw II over the cat. She then managed to
tear the boy loose from the animal and ran WIN
him To an inner bedroom, slamming the door
behind her.
LEAPED AGAINST THE DOOR.
The batfied brute leaped against the closed
door again and again, clawing at the WOODWORK
and yowling in rage.
The noise of the conflict brought several men
living IN The same house to Mrs Rice's apart
mcnts TIE cat no sooner saw the men 'ha'
II gave I'D Its frantic efforts at leaping against
the door ard rushed at the newco nerJ
The men attacked the ca. with heavy STICKS ana
kicked her until finally worsted, she rusheo % Du.
of the room and up to the roof OF the mousse Inc
men followed. .
When the cat reached the roof she encountered
another cat which she attacked, nothing
daunted. Having made the FUR ny rom tne oaSn tr
of her new victim she escaped her pursuers py
running across the roofs of the neighboring houses
and disappeared. o. .,-s
and -fourth-st station. called in and found
the little boy in ptiable condition. HIS right
arm and leg were frightfully lacerated. Inc vi,
fcer sent for an ambulance from tne ha''en, hn
Hospital and Surgeon Opdyke responded TO tne
call He found the boy in half-fainting cohui-
ton as the result of pain and fright. upon MS
limbs were no less than forty bleeding WOUNDS.
The surgeon cauterized The wounds ana gave
restoratives to the sufferer. The little teiio"
stood the painful cauterzation manfully
CAUSE OF THE ATTACK.
The cat q large Maltese belonged to Mrs
strass who lives on the top floor Of the house
Some four weeks ago Mrs Rice left the door OF
her room open and the cat strayed in and gave
birth to a litter Of kittens Then Mrs. Rice al
lowed the cat to remain, although the amman
was ugly to all who approached the kittens
Yesterday morning dog passed through the
hallway of Mrs. Rice's floor and the cat attacked
him scratching and biting him badly about the
head and body and causing him to run howhng
down stairs to the street. The cat was mandeheo
at the intrusion of the dog, and in rage ran Dack
into Mrs Rices rooms and sprang upon the baby
After the doctor had gone. the policeman maze
away with the kittens. But Mrs. Rice dares not
stay In her rooms. Fearing that the cat III seek
ing for her young may return. she has taken
refuge with little Michael In the home or neigh
Dor.
Before he left. the doctor said he did not expect
any serious results a consequence or the cat
assault on the child, the animal evidently was
not suffering from hydrophobia. but had been
rendered savage temporarily by the approach OF
the dog to her litter Of kittens
A. last accounts the cat still at large, al
though the police and nelghbors are on guard
waiting her return.