Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-07-08
AEeLlNE FIGHTER.
A Sd. Louis Cat which whips EVER"
thing I'm sight.

thing I'm sight.
Capt. Sam Boyd, OF the Seventh
district station, claims he is the posses
sor of the brainiest, scrappiest and
biggest cat in the city. This feline
wonder is known as plain Tom and
nothing else. When quite young ne
showed a decided penchant for rats
and mice, and after his sojourn in the
Four Courts of two years he had every
thing in the shape of rat or mouse
on the run He grew up big and strong,
and while at the Four Courts licked
every dog that tried to tackle him. Capt.
BOYD guarded him with jealous care,
and woe be unto the man who tried to
injure Tom in his presence.
One day Tom was sleeping in the
boiler room beneath Chief Desmond's
office, when Ryan, the engineer, s1cked
his Scotch terrier on the sleeping Iom-
They both pitched in and fought fast
and furious for Is minutes, at the end
of which Ryan's terrier was stretched
out on the floor badly battered up
Every officer in the district cnetfed
RYAN over the defeat of his dog, and to
get even one day he brought another
terrier down to the Four Courts, and,
after Turing big Tom downstairs, he
set both dogs on him. Tom stood his
ground like Il veteran, and fought the
dogs until he fell to the ground ex-
hausted and bleeding profusely. At this
time Capt. Boyd had been moved up to
the Seventh, and telephone message in
formed him that his cat was dying. The
captain hitched up his buggy and
drove in all haste to the Four Courts,
and the sight of his pet, cut and bleed
ing, made him almost desperate. He
swore by his shield that he could lick
the man who was instrumental in in
jurjng his cat, and Ryan took a vacation.
Tom was tenderly carried back to the
Seventh, and surgeon summoned, who,
after exhausting his skill on Tom, slfc-
ceeded in saving his life. He gradually
became stronger, and to-day he is the
cock of the walk at the station.
The captain, in speaking of Tom to
reporter, tells a very funny story of how
he walked up the street one day last
summer and found Tow lying in front
of the station dead, with a rope tied
around his neck. He walked into the
station, and his anger knew no bounds.
He lined up every sergeant, officer and
clerk, and closely questioned them
about the killing of his pet. He then
pulled off his shield and dramatically
said: 1.-THE cur that was cruel enough
to murder Tom will have to do likewise
with me. Step out here and be man
and take your medicine" Not man
budged, and this irritated the captain
more than ever. He walked into his Of
q 3, h.,A
to his men. One afternoon, about IL
days later, Tom walked through the
window into the captains Office. THIS
captain stood up and gazed at the form
of Tom as though in a dream; in fact,
he refused to believe his eyes; but there
stood Tom as big as life. He was taken
up and caressed by the captain, who ac-
tually shed tears of joy. 1t turned out
that the cat supposed to have been Tom
was stray one which some boys had
killed and left in front of the station.
Tom struts around the station as
though he owns it while the captain is
around to protect him, but when the
captain is away Tom goes visiting and
awaits his return at the front door,
when he walks in proudly and takes
possession of the office. A short time
ago he spied strange cat on top of the
station, and made straightway to do
him. They fought all around the roof,
and suddenly they fell to the ground,
a distance of 80 feet, but the accident
did not stop the fight. Instead, they
kept it up after reaching the ground.
The captain saw the whole thing, and
he danced around the fighting cats, all
the while urging on Tom. Tom won,
and the captain proudly carried him
into his office and fed him on cream and
cake for a week. The captain says
Tom has never been licked, and that he
would not sell him for love or money.
st. Louis Republic.