New-York tribune., 1903-01-22
CATS md MEN ARE GLAD
Medical Students an a FDfy-ftfh-st.
House Dr1ufR 1f5cGy.

The cats who gave nightly concerts in West
Fifty-fifth-st. return to their old haunts,
for their rivals and enemies, dozen jovial med
ical students and their tutor, have been dis
possessed fro Z a bpownstone house in thai
street, between Eighth and Ninth aves.
The story OF the cats and their troubles has
become q matter Of record in the Tenth District
Court. II is well hidden in dry legal documents
among the troubles of the landlady who rented
her house 10 Professor Herman f. Meeher, an
assistant in the College Of Physicians and Sur
geons Of Columbia University. The professors
neighbors Who owned the cats had troubles Of
their own.
1t WIS in October 1902 that Mrs. Sophie
Werner. who lives 1T West Nine;y- -sevenih-si-
and the Boulevard. rented Ter Fifty-f1fth-st
house TO Professor Meeker. q mild looking. soft
voiced man with small mustache and eye
glasses He said he intended TO use ii as
home. and obtained a years lease.
A few days later. preceded by several LOADS ot
instalment plan furniture. Professor MeeHer
moved in. He was followed by a troop of young
men who wore caps. smoked pipes and cut
oapers as students are likely to do. They were
struggling for NJ. D degrees, and they were be
hind in certain chemical work 1t was a bright
idea. this of living with instructor who
could tutor them.
Before the first night WAS over the neighbors
wondered what manner of family it was that
had moved into the house. BY the second night
some thought that il was a private lunatc asy-
lum for patients who had singing mania The
choruses were of the ripping college sort-nore
noise than music-most distracting when one is
trying to go to sleep. They ended with dozen
different college yells. which acted as alarm
clocks on the tired neighbors. The cats, thor
oughly outdone by the new arrivals. were IN
dignant and disguised. The louder they howled
,rla-,-G aToC
AT the end of a week strange doings were OBJ
served in the kitchen and dining room OF the
house There were no blinds on the windows
and the young men could be seen there until all
hours bending over curious apparatus. Ihey
had turned the rooms into a temporary labora-
tory. Il soon became veritable smell factory
some one investigated and found that they
were medical students. Horrors! They were
probably dissecting. The noises which the wlno
made shrieks and means and groans, sounded III
the ears of the neighbors the walls Of vic
tins suffering vivisection. A cat or two disap-
peared.
.oYou will have TO keep quiet and stop those
horrid smells and things move out" was the
ultimatum she delivered to the professor
L have a years lease and I'll do as / like he
answered Then. being angry at the oppositlon'
II is said he neglected TO pay the November
rent In retaliation Mrs. Werner had his be-
longings moved TO the street.
Presently the landlady, through her attorney
Jerome c. Lewis of No. 132 Nassau-st. brought
suit for So rent. Professor Meeker put IN a
counterclai1n for S177 A. the principal item OF
which was for furniture bought on the install
r1ent plan. which, according to agreement, could
he used only in this particular house. Judge
Thomas e Murray decided that there was no
virtue in the counterclaim, and that the pro-
fessor must pay the back rent. His former
,,,,ore II, F-iftv-ffth-st will hold festival Of
rejoicing. and the cats will tell Of the students
defeat in nightly song.