The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-12

HACKMAN'S PET TABBY LOCKED
IN A BLACKSMlTH'S SHOP
OVER SUNDAY.
The Absence CT His Treasured Feline
Made French Pste'' Thirsty for Re-
venge-The Entire Force in the
Blacksmith's shop Was Dis
mayed When Peter Came in
Search Of His Cat With
Pistol.

A cat, an excited man and a black
smith came near being the actors in
tragic drama on South Arizona street
this morning. The blacksmith was one
OF the employees of Charles w. Lanes
blacksmith shop, the excited man was
French Pete" the hack driver ana
the cat was the treasured tabby of thu.
latter.
When matters were approaching y
climax between the blacksmith and the
hackman and the cat had taken to this
roof, q telephone call for policeman
was sent into the city Jail. and Assist
ant Chief Young went to the scene Of the
trouble.
One Of the delicate tasks that often
fall to the lot of a police officer Is that
of separating Quarrelsome man from q
pistol. This was the piece of work that
the assistant chief was required to do.
When the man who Is making the gun
play is intoxicated. the business Of dis
connecting him from the weapon be-
comes more ticklish.
1t seems that the cat in the play got
into the blacksmith shop Of Mr.. Lane
on Saturday and went down under the
floor through hole in it, presumably
in quest of rats. The blacksmith shop
is locked up on Sunday, and the tabby
was not able to get out of it till this
morning. French Pete" had missed the
serene compa ~ Of his feline friend. COM
panion and property. whose lodgings ar.
in the hackmans stable behind the
blacksmith shop, and when she issued
from the blacksmith shop this morning
he entered there and proceeded to talk
trouble.
He seemed to be Of the opinion that
the blacksmith shop ought to be kept
open on Sunday SO puss could have per-
feet freedom in her business Of chasing
up rats, and in his conversation on the
subject he displayed no special regard
for the rules Of the blacksmiths union
covering the matter Of blacksmiths
working on Sunday.
While he expressed his views on the
inalienable rights OF all cats to life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness, he
did a staggering saunter about the
blacksmith shop with a hand on his left
hip, making the horses that were being
shod nervous. and incidentally turning
the blacksmith shop into an unpleasant
place in which to obtain rest and recrea-
ton.
While he sauntered up and doWl
among the anvils and furnaces he made
remarks concerning how well he could
shoot. and what q fine pistol he had
under his coat tails, and upon what litt!a
provocation he could be induced to tura
that horse shOers resort into a shooting
gallery, kept continuously busy and full
of interest for everybody present by u
perpetual series OF prize shooting
matches in which every competitor who
winged a blacksmith would get a silver
medal adorned with a ring OF
bronze cats, looking melancholy because
they had been cooped UP in a bla cksmith
shop over Sunday. when they ought to
have been out some place on a picnic.
He convinced the blacksmith that there
was a good chance of a cat war starting
very soon, and so they sent for the
police.
II ought to have given him just one
knock with these tongs," one of the
blacksmiths said, after he had been
taken into custody. swinging pair OF
the tools with vigorous sweep.
When Assistant Chief Young arrived
at the blacksmith shop French Pete"
was found in his stable yard behind the
shop, and he handed over the pistol
without resistance. The blacksmiths had
barricaded the back door against him
with key Of nails, and We're glad that
he was outside. He had gone outside to
teach the cat to skip rope, and he was
engaged in that delightful pastine when
the officer arrived.
He was taken to jail. where he said
that the blacksmith had stolen MS cat
and everything else. but could not enu-
merate the things which came under the
description in the last clause. When he
RECEIVERS his senses he will probably be
sorry he became SO valorous over the re-
striction of his cats freedom on this
ga hhath