Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-20
CAT SAVED FIVE LIVES.
Lamp Exploded While WICK own
err. Were Asleep-He Viewed
Loudly md ANOke Them.

From the Philadelphia Times.
EFF we're kind tew Ser cat. Yer cath he
| kind tew yew." is a home!y saying often
| passed in Southern Indiana. and Mrs. God-
! frey Brown. of 4l6 North Fifth street. Is
, ready to swear 10 its rruthfulness. Tor not
only her life. but the lives OF her nus
band. her two sons and Il boarder, We're
saved from fine by the family cat carry yes-
! lerday morning. Needless to state that
this particular cat is regarded WIN annira.
neishborhood. and is the envy OF all the
other cats-young rats. old cats. pussy cats
and tom cats-within mewing distance.
"Nicky'' for short. Nicodemus ny mime.
is n beautiful Maltese with Il coat as sleek
and soft as ever a well-bred cat possessed.
"Nicky.' when the Brown family retired.
Thursday night, coiled himself on a sofa IN
the rear sitting room and proceeded TO enter
the feline heaven through the medium OF
peaceful dreams. BUT in the room where
...Nicky'' dreamed was a lighted coal oil
dows. ."Nicky'' had seen this seif-same
lamp. lighted, at the window for many .!
moon. and so when he closed ms eyes ana
thought. no suspicion. that Just as lie was
reaching the climax of his t;iysian visions
that lamp at the window would explode and
startle him to f,i!i wakefulness. But that $
.Me-e-ow:" howled "Nicky," in his sur;
prise and temporary fright. "Me-e-eoow.
he howled again. as the room became sufo,
eating with smoke and the bright red
tongues began to appear here ana there
where the burning OF, had been hEng;
and if he could modestly tell 1t lall heroes
relate their deeds Of daring modestiy. It's
said). in the course of the next few sec,
ondS did some pretty quick thinking and
lots of it. In all probability his cats mind
spoke thus: Here's a pretty how-de-do-
a fire; Ny mistress and her ioyed ones are
have been, oh. so kind to me; They are
in danger. l can repay their kindness by
telling them of their peril. and In do It,,
boarder, who was sleeping in the front room
on the ground tioor-at 1910 O'Clock she
a it was-was awakened by the be-
ing on her bed and working his lungs
for all their capacity. Mrs. Clarke was
sleeping nearest to ".Nicky.' and undoubt-
eddy he thought it wise to waken her first,
as no time was to be lost.
In response to "Nicky's'' continued new
ing Mrs. Clarke arose and then she saw
ope = door. Next instant She was in the
passage screaming loudly for help. while
"Nicky'' had bounded up the stairs and
in his endeavor to Waken the Browns.
What with his appeals and Mrs. Clarke's
screams. the Browns-Godfrey. the hus-
sons. were quickly acquainted with their
| great peril. for by this time the rooms
down stairs were seething with flames and
escape was becoming more and more prob
lematicaI.
Downstairs all rushed. In night garments
only. and downstairs and through the hall
and into the rear yard and over the fence
went "Nicky" with them. There the five
persons called for help and shivered. and
"Nicky'' mewed In many keys. Here Carlo.
the dog, joined them. AT the first sign
of danger he had gone to the street and
barked loudly.
Possibly 1t was due to his barking that at
last a policeman had been awakened and an
alarm turned in. for soon fire engines dashed
up. and then the Browns. and Mrs. Clarke.
and "Nicky.' beheld furniture flying
through the air. a half hour later they
We're told that the fire had been put out.
Then. when they went into the house, the
Browns and Mrs. Clarke discovered that
all their clothing had been burned. But
kind-henrted neighbors came to the res
cue. and clothed the shivering five. AS Tor
"Nicky.' when they heard how he hn!
saved the family from ~death-why, he was
petted and made much of. and received
many promises of good. rich milk.