Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-31
BIG BATTLE WITH A CAT.
Savage Prowlsr Attacks People In a
New York Flat


A savage, uncouth tomcat, driven
to the verge of madness by starvation,
created CONSERVATION in New York
flat house by fercely attacking every
body who attempted to drive it out.
1t was captured after a desperate bat
tie in which woman, two men, two
policemen and three dogs partici-
pated.
The cat was an ugly specimen of
the back yard prowler, big, fero-
cious-looking animal with a head like
bulldog. 1t was striped yellow and
black like tiger
1t wandered into the basement of
the big flat of which Thomas Nc
!. Clelland is the janitor some time last
week and made its lair under pile
of old doors at the rear of the hall.
Mrs. McCleland saw the cat several
times, and its presence there worried
her because she has two little chill
dren who play in the hall during the
day, and she made several attempts
10 drive it out without success.
.FShe was walking through the base
ment the other morning with her
daughter, FIVE years old, by her side,
when she again encountered the cat
It's eyes cleaned like fire balls and it
Kissed and spit at her as she adj
vanced.
Mrs McClelland struck at it with
whip she happened to have in her
hand and the cat jumped straight at
the head of the child. With a scream
Mrs. McClelland got in front Of the
girl and put out her hand TO ward
off the cat The animal caught her
hand in its sharp claws and buried
its teeth in her thumb.
She shook it off and ran to sum
mon her husband, Thomas, from up
stairs. He tried to drive the cat out
with large iron poker : The cat
made q spring for his neck He beat
it off, but it renewed the attack re-
peatedly.
1t finally made terrific jump for
the janitor and seized hold OF his
hand between its sharp teeth Nc
Clelland yelled with pain and his
wife beat the cat off with the whip.
Then McClelland pounded the ami
NAL with the poker until it lay quiet
and motionless on the stone tagging.
1t was dead, he thought, and he went
away. But when he started to 20
for the doctor few minutes later he
VAS amazed when he reached the
areaway. There sat the cat.
1T sprang at him the moment it
saw him, and he hastily shut the
door, and then it dashed itselfagain
the door to get at him.
Michael Hart, a livery stable keep
psHr across the way, has two fox ter.
.sfiers and an indomitable little Scotch
terrier named Nip. He was appealed
to for aid with his dogs. He agreed
to get in the fight with them.
At sight of the dogs the cats back
arched, ,his tail grew thick and he
prepared to fight. The dogs grasped
the situation at once and stood off
barking, waiting for van opening. 1t
came very soon. Tom flew at Nip
and caught him ON the right shout
der. Then it was that the fox ter
riers, Spot and Fannie, fell upon him.
A great battle then began.
The cat held its own for "A time,
but the odds soon appeared too much.
1t was rapidly succumbing, when a
passer-by denounced the proceedings
and threatened to have Hart arrest
ed if he didn't call off the dogs.
They were called off.
The cat was sorry looking spec
tacle at this stage Of the proceedings.
1t was bleeding about the head and
minus large patches Of fur all over
its body and so weak that it couldn't
stand.-N. Y World.