The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-24
CAT TWO YEARS
IN THREEINCH JAIL
Went in Fat Kitten-Came
Out Compressed Tabby.
ALIVE AND DOES L0CKSTEP
Fell Between Walls Of Two Houses and
Tenants Fed It-COwbOy
Rescued It.
ALIVE AND DOES LoCKSTEP

NEW YORK, July 2S.-After nearly
two years of entombment, a striped cat,
which wore no blue beauty RIBBONS, but
which ought TO have a medal for deter
mination to live was pulled out ves~
terday from its prison between two
walls little more than three inches apart.
still alive. but pressed into such slim
ness Of body as its narrow home TeQuir-
ed.
The prison which il occupied so long Is
between the two buildings 163 and los
East Fourth Street. The crevice between
the two buildings Is closed front and
back. and even closed partly on the top
by a tin roofing which once covered
up the chasm, but which was partly torn
away, when the cat. then kitten, went
down, and still remains partly open at
the top. The depth of the chasm is the
height of the four-stOry buildings be
tween which the cast was caught.
The Cat Lives.
The efforts which the kitten made again
and again during the early days Of its
Imprisonment to climb up these slippery
walls. only TO fall back. were watched
with sympathy by the neighbors, and
they became divided into two factions,
those who thought that the kitten ought
10 be killed and relieved OF its misery,
and those who held that while there was
life there was hope. Ii goes without
saying that this faction fed the cat.
The others tried 10 feed II. too. on poi
soned liver
The cat liberated has proved as inter
esting as was the cat imprisoned. The
love of prison life is still with IL. Hard
~ had II been revived from the choking
IL got by being pulled out Of its prison
when IL made a dash to get back into the
u carried
the fat Immediately below the roof and
placed on the floor II Immediately start
ed it's lockstep promenade, forward and
back, which II has kept up ever since.
None Know How.
It IS not quite clear whether the cat
which the nelghbors long ago christened
''Holey.' because of the hole IL was in,
owes its two years Imprisonment to
some mischievous boy or TO its own
clumsiness as a kitten. for nobody
knows precisely how II got down 90 the
bottom Of the chasm.
When the cat went down. on Septem-
Der 1. 1902, there lived on the top floor
back Of the building, at 163, John Pope
lauer with his wife and family. A new
little Poppelauer arrived on that day.
and the father. SOLICITORS about the safe
~ OF his baby boy, decided TO isolate the
Kitten upon the TOOI- Ouly the Kitten
knows what happened there.
Once down IN the hole the kitten was
not long in making its predicament
known. What II lacked IN lung power IL
made up IN endurance, and II howled by
night as we'll as by day. For days and
nights after that the roof was filled
with men and women who tried TO pun
Up the kitten in one way OF another, but
all 10 no avail Poles were let DOWN 10
the bottom Of the crevice in the hope
that the kitten would try 10 crawl up on
them. and pieces Of meat fastened 70
strings were lowered down ia the hope
OF catching the cat IKE hsh' DGsPlIs
the arguments of those who believed
that the kitten should be allowed 10
starve, others threw food down 10 IT,
S.P. c. A. Takes Hand.
Meanwhile the kitten grew. and as 1t
grew its voice developed. The cats
predicament finally got 70 the notice
Of the Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty 10 Animals. The agent who
came 10 investigate was for killing the
cat. The women almost mobbed him
for his cruel point OF view. He sug-
gested shooting II. but the cats friends
argued that he might thus jeopardize
the safety OF the occupants Of the two
houses. He tried the poisoned liver
scheme, but the cat, though excluded
from contact with its fellOW-felines. had
its instructive wisdom. The agent finally
gave up.
Many wondered how the cat lived
without drink. There IS a secret about
that that not everybody knew, for when
an was dark and still upon the roof
one of the women In the house nightly
lowered a can fun Of water 10 the
prisoner.
The cats predioamcnt came to the no
tice Of former cowboy. who had learn
ed IA the West the use OF the lariat. At
o'clock yesterday morning he went
up on the root of l63 and "a less thar
half an. hour had caught the cat by th'
neck i got a straugling. but also
liberty 81 the door 10 the roof can b,
KENT shut