The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-29
JUST 27 LIVES SAVED
THEY ALL BELONGED TO ''TOMMY"
AND TWO OTHER CATS.
The Rescue Excited a North Senate
Avenue NeighbOrhOOd to SuS-
pect n Crime.

The nelghborhood around the intersection
of Indiana avenue Vermont street and SEN
ate avenue was excited by the belief that
murder had been committed in the midst
Of 1t Sunday night, and bright and early
yesterday morning the report was made to
the police that the neighborhood had been
shocked by positive circumstantial evidence
that baby had been drowned in a cistern
in the rear of the house at No. 403 North
Senate avenue.
Detectives Asch and Dugan were busy
with an important case, but it was deemed
imperative that the alleged murder mys-
terry should be vestigated at once, and
they were detailed to sift the report to the
bottom 1t was 10 o'clock when they
reached the house in the rear of which the
murder of an innocent babe was supposed
to have occurred. Before entering the
house they talked with people living near
by. These people were afraid that they
would be dragged into the case, and it was
only by insisting that the story be told that
the detectives were able to gain an UNDER
standing of the reasons which the neigh
bors had for believing that foul murder had
been committed.
What they learned was that about 10
o'clock Sunday night q womans screams
were heard coming from the house at
No. 400.
do not drown my baby" the woman
screamed. 1T would be murder. Oh won't
somebody save himv'
And then the voice changed to sobbing,
only to break forth again into blood
curdling cries that the baby should not be
drowned; Windows had been thrown up
and frightened eyes stared down through
darkness and falling snow at the house
from which the screams came No one
dared to make an investigation, and many
of the neighbors who had been awakened
crept back TO bed shuddering.
The house itself might, by a stretch of
Imagination. inspire d mysterious dread at
second house on the east side of Senate ave-
nue. north Of Vermont street. In one of the
rooms upstairs lives Miss Smart, a maiden
lady or excellent reputation. Besides her,
several families live in the house. The
neighbors told the detectives that there was
no doubt Miss Smart was the owner Of the
voice that had pierced the air the night be-
fore. After the neighbors had been
pumped" the detectives went to the house
and visited John Dunlap, who has a room
upstairs. Dunlap refused to acknowledge
the right of the detectives to question him
that he knew anything about the alleged
horror. When the detectives left him and
turned to Miss Smart's room Dunlap fol-
lowed them. The detectives began a con-
versation with Miss Smart and Dunlap
broke in, telling Miss Smart to answer no
questions. The detectives were forced to
put Dunlap out of the room. His inSistence
was thing that added strength to the sus-
picion, and he might have been suspected
had the case remained q mystery very long.
Miss Smart was greatly surprised and
grieved when she was told of the story that
the neighborS had taken to the police. The
mystery was easily cleared up, she said.
She, in common with many other ladies,
has as a companion a cat. This cat she
loved ardently, and called him her pet and
her baby.
CAT OUT sKYLARKING.
Sunday night the cat ventured forth in
search Of amusement and became involved
with two other cats who were on the same
Grand The three fell into a maudlin quar-
rel on the roof above Miss Smarts room.
She was awakened, and, fearing for the
safety of her darling Tommy" fastened
down into the back yard lightly clad. The
cold snow had no terrors for her when her
pet was in peril. No sooner had she cast
her eyes up on the roof than the three fe-
lines came rolling and tumbling down
locked in frenzed embrace and fell with
wild screams into an open cstern. Then it
was that Miss Smart screamed for help, "Of
all the men in the neighborhood," she told
screams but Mr.. Dunlap. He came down
stairs and got basket and began to fish
for my pet"
The first cat which was drawn up in the
basket was not Miss Smart's baby" When
the basket came up the second time Miss
For the third time the basket was dropped
| into the cistern, and at last wet and miser-
able, and with no war cries left in him,
Miss Smarts pet was rescued Holding the
cat to her heart she hurried up to her room
to apply such remedies as are calculated to
prevent pneumonia.
When Miss Smart had finished her story
to the amazed detectives she said: Now.
will show you my pet" She opened the
door of a closet and the detectives, peering
over her shoulders, saw a great yellow
br.ndle" cat, lying asleep on q soft cushion
and Snugly swatbed in a blanket. Thus was
the mystery which brooded over the neigh
borhood cleared away.
1t was noon by the time the detectives had
finished the investigation of the case. and
they left the neighborhood, needless of the
curious neighbors who were anXiousy wait
ing for the outcome.
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