The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-15
CATS CAUSED THIS FEUD.
SPIER DETEsTS TABBIEs, MRS. ROB-
ERTS LOVES THEN.

"
Her Homo n Haven for Feline VAIN ana In
Vniidsi Its, n YnwnibE Abyss That Au
Knowing Pussica shun = These Varying
Tastes End In Bitter Hatc and Threats.
During tho entire seventy years of his lifo
John Spier Of % West Ninth street has been q
hatcr of cats. Every year his dislike has grown,
until to-day. he says, no would rather SEQ an
elephant come crashing through his doors at
dead of night than know that thore was a cat In
his front yard. Years ago Mr.. Spier formulated
a plan for the determination OF cats, but ho soon
found that they came into tho world faster than
no could send them out; 80 he gave UP tho
scheme OF general DETERMINATION and confined
his efforts to his own immediate neighborhood.
For a long time now Mr.. Spicr has been trying
to FREQ the block on West Ninth street, between
Fifth and Sixth avenues, of cats, and IL the wall
Of protest that has gone up from his neighbors
is any criterion to judge by, domestic pets have
been having q hard time.
BY one Of those strange DEGREES OF fate that
nobody understands, there lives at 81 West
Ninth street, on the opposite side and a little
way down tho street from Mr.. Spier, q woman
who. In the matter Of cats, represents all that Ia
directly opposite to Mr.. Spier's views. Mrs.
Roberts has spent most of her fifty years In low
ing and caring for cats. She feeds the stray
ones that come to her with delicacies from her
own table; she cares for the injured and sick
ones, no matter when they call; she breaches
the doctrines of peace to those that fight in a
way known only 10 herself, and 1t is said that
many a pair she has found nose to nose, with
backs up and tails b%ristling. have been known
to leave her house together. models of meekness
and humility.
1t wasn't reasonable to suppose that two such
people could live on tho same block long without
knowing of each other, Although it has been
Mr.. Spior's custom TO work under cover OF night.
the kidnapper Of cats about whom the owners
Of feline pets were doing so much kicking. When
for no Is q benign-loOking man, with n snowy
white beard and n kindly eye. 1t was in the
evening, and Mr.. Spier had wandered down to.
ward Mrs. Roberts's end of the block. whether
for cats or, exercise does not appear. Mrs. Rob
erts saw him from her window, and, running
Are you down here looking for cats, sir r. she
said.
with q smile, remarked.
Madam, IL you are the Mrs. Roberts ! have
tally unbalanced"
home. Since that time the cats OF the noighbor-
hood. stray ones and pets, have continued to
disappear. Among others that have gone is ono
in which Mrs. Roberts took n special interest. a
white fellow who came to her lean and sCrawny
some We ! ago and which by feeding three
stored to health. strength, and beauty. Mrs.
Roberts declares that this cat is a victim OF one
Of Mr.. spior's midnight prowl,s and the neigh
borhood is agog now because she threatens to
bring his cat crusade to an end by n criminal as
II don't Kill these cats" said Mr.. spicr to a
EN- up. Then i send to the animal society. and
know what they do with EN-, and l don't care.
This Mrs; Roberts is mentally unbalanced. She
/ won have EN- around me. So every one ! get
my hands on l lock up until the society wagon
o 1Snss , AND We 5Hk ,h.t em e, away; Of 90 emo you hear sat ' !ea
last night, and I'm expecting, the wagon for 'em
tonight. They're in the cellar, and there they
stay. Say. If you go down and see Mrs. Roberts
ierin' in my cellar"
six more tonight; oh, when, will 1t end r
cried Mrs. Roberts, raising her hands in hope
less despair when the The syN repoFtsr Sap:
t Tsse sim Mr w spiiSdF come msS whsn I'd 1--WE i've On a'a the ! 9 shme
block with such n bloodthirsty, wretch: OF
course hos imbecile: We can all understand
II from some people who have talked TO him;
siaas Sss a v ibs ii toe; S ( y , sn 10 S SO @F9 sooa
he win DO stopped. 1t would, be an outrage
IL he only preyed on on the unfortunSts stray
cats. too. and that's unbcarabie. When
think Of my SAMMY and Tottie shudder.
m @he sst II they rye sf S2aIrb ,el ,b IN nus ap hI ike bab Issy yn Ss
l do love them so. .Tottic's real name is Tommy.
although she - a female; called her that be.
and | only call her Tottie once in a while for n
pet name. The dear creature don't know. you
sec, but what Tommy's n proper name for her,
and she never goes out at all. My SAMMY and
dear Tottie have been my pets for years and I'm
all n trcmbie over the possibility Of his wretched
man taking them. l do believe he'd come right
in here and take them il | didn't keep the doors
locked all the time and stay in most OF the day.
And, oh, let me tell you about the poor little
white fellow. The tears come when ! think OF
him. He came to my window, hungry and thin
again. Then he came regularly. and | watched
him come back to health and strength and
learned TO love him almost as much rs ] do
when he didn't. come around. | waited and
waited. and until 1 o'clock in the morning I sat
in the window with n plate OF fried liver and
chicken fricassee and chirpcd for him and called
'Kittie. kittie' until | was exhausted. Then l
went to bed, but | couldn't sleep. and l
got up and walked the floor. ! tried to make
myself believe he had found another friend, and
that he didn't come because he had had enough
to eat, but in my heart ! knew that he had sim
ply fallen a victim to this monster up the street,
and that | would never see him again. i never
him. He was such a beautiful fellow. just like
the domestic cat that won all the prizes over the
heads OF the Angoras at the cat show. Oh, i
spent hours at the cat show. We're you there
MOI How unfortunate; you missed the lovcliest
kitties that ever were shown together.
don't know what we shall do II this man
cannot be stopped. Only yesterday when ] was
talking to Mira. Atkinson, my neighbor, q great
rat walked In the room AS calm and domcSticatcd
like as you please. Such a thing couldn't have
happened before this man began Kidding the
neighborhood Of Kittens;
hope. Meantime | Just tremble for fear he
might come after my Sammy and TOttie. Oh,
what II he did don't think could stand It..
JUDGE AsPINALL THREATENED.
but "FiEhtinE Joe" Is Not worried Over I'll.