Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-16
A BLACK CAT.
And Its Record-The Tale Is 1ncrcd-
tble and Many VINO Read 1t win
Doubtless Doubt.

About three months ago there came
to the home Of J. B. Reese at Geary, O.
T., q monster black cat The Reese
family were comparatively poor and
had never owned cat before and as
this one proved to be good 1nouser.
perfectly gentle and companlonable
with the children, they decided to
keep it.
At that time no one suspected the i'll
luck which would. follow in the cats
trail. One day it scratched the baby
Charlie became angry and took it to the
river, intending to drown it. The cat in
some manner freed itself from the bag
in which it had been tied. The little boy
attempted to recapturc it, and in doing
SO fell into the river and was drowned.
Ihe father short time later took the
cat into the woods, intending to lose it
there. 1t was Il rainy night i'll January,
and i'll walking through the thick I'M
dcrgrowth Mr.. Reese caught a severe
cold and died on January u, but the
cat came back and sat under his death
bed.
BY this time the sight Of the pet had
become obnoxious to the rest Of the
family, and James Il. Ecc.;,, the soldier
son. decided to shoot it. While clean
ing his revolver for the execution car
fridge accidentally exploded and the
ball penetrated his head, killing him
almost instantly. That was the last at
tempt made to get rid Of the cat, but it
was by no means the last of the fanily's
misfortuncs.
It remained at the Reese house and
was fed regularly, vet none of the sur
vlving members of the family looked at
1t without wishing it dead. On March
3 Mrs. Reese went to town to buy some
medicine for her sick daughter, Nina,
aged II. When she returned she found
the house in ashes. Nina, the baby.
aged II months, and the cat had been
burned to death. Though nothing GER
tain is known Of what took place dur
ing the mothers absence, it is supposed
that the cat and the baby were PLAYING
around the stove, which was l. small
riekety affair, and in some way knocked
it over and set fire to the house.
Mrs. Reese was hcartbrol1en and
never recovered from the shock. On
March II she died AS she Law 1,pon
her deathbed she called her son William
TO her side, and, with more of certain
" than OF mere superstition, said: II
am sure the cat is the cause Of all this
trouble. BE careful for Mollieand YOUR
self. Its ghost WIN pursue YOU
The next day Mollic, aged 3, died Of
grief. and mother and daughter were
buried in the same grave.
William, the 19-ycar-old son, is now
the only surviving member Of the
Reese family. lie lives in mortal terror
Of his life, and is afraid to leave his
boarding house. for fear some accident
Will happen to him. The sight of cat
will unnervc him completely.
In 4 letter to friend under date of
March 16 he SAYS:
Every one of my dear brothers ana
sisters and parents have died in the In st
three months. I attribute it all to \
black cat which came to our house
early in the fall, after father and jim
came back from the war. You know
the story. 1t is too narrowing for mo
to repeat. live in mortal dread lest
shall be killed, like the rest. of the
family. "-Cincinnati Commercial Trib-
une.