New-York tribune., 1905-07-12
RESCUER OF CATS.
Mrs. Turner's Work for abused
Felines-No Help from S. P. C. Il.

l. I1tf'Co W. AACCp iIOHt ~ H. II.
Your wife told you had five little kittens
here, and want those Irtle kittens. please"
The speaker was Mrs. Annie Turner Of No.
517 West 47th-st.. well known all over the city
as the friend Of animals. and she had gone out
in the storm yesterday afternoon TO look for the
little baby kittens, Of which so many are being
born these summer days. The man 10 whom
the remark addressed a grocer, on 11th-
ave. said that the kittens were in the cellar,
and Mrs. Turner went out again into the rain.
People don't always want to give me abused
animals" she remarked 10 her companion.
she picked her way down the damp and dirty
cellar steps. but they know pretty well by this
time that they have to. If they don't I call in
the police The police don't like very well.
bother them too much, but always insist on
their doing duty, and some Of them my
good friends"
The five kittens were found in an empty dry
goods box in the corner OF the cellar. and with
the help Of q few matches and small boy Mrs.
Turner soon succeeded in getting hold Of four
Of them-blind staggering babies-which she laid
gently IN a large ventilated hand satchel The
fifth she left for the mother
The next stopping place the basement
home OF a colored family
KITTENS KNOW HER.
The colored people are so kind to the poor
animals" remarked Mrs. Turner as a pleasant
looking young mulatto. almost white and de-
cicedly pretty, came TO meet her.
We'll, they are aggravating sometimes"
/ marked the mulatto. They steal and break my
/ dishes. but can't bear TO hurt them"
And did you find the babies?" asked Mrs.
/ Turner
mo" answered the young woman. I've
! looked everywhere, but the mother has hid them
away so careful that can't ind them
So, promising TO come again. Mrs. Turner
moved on TO the next place, stopping by the way
/ to speak TO her friends. Not cat was to be
seen on the street. The rain would have driven
! them 10 cover If they had not been afraid Of the
| children who swarmed the streets, but they
responded Instantly to Mrs. Turner's voice. She
| stopped at an opening Of a cellar way OF
livery stable and called. Pussy. pussy, pussy"
and IN q moment two two or three furry
heads peeped timidIy from their hiding places.
! There would be a do<~n." said Mrs. Turner
'if IT were fine day. but they don't like TO get
wet Sometimes I afraid to speak for fear
viii have them all around me. They know
I won't hurt them. and they haven't many
/ friends They suffer more from abuse in sum
/ mer than n winter because the children are
out Of school and playing on the streets. but
| the children are not the worst
CRUELTY OF OWNERS
1T is hard for me TO understand how people
/ can be so cruel. You wouldn't know they were
human if II were not for their shape Only last
! week found poor pussy about TO become 4
mother at the bottom of an airshaft The people
who owned her had thrown her into II when
! they discovered her condition. and all her legs
We're broken This is nothing unusual. I often
/ have 10 get officer 10 come and shoot them
| where they liz IN the shafts because they are
| suffering too much 10 be moved.
BY this time there eight kittens in various
! stages Of infancy IN the hand satchel. and one
was poking it's head from one Of the ventilation
| holes Finding that IL could not be induced to
/ go back, Mrs Turner took II out and decided
10 carry II sepap. .tely. The street children sped
| II and crowded. round begging to be allowed TO
/ have II. But dts Turner shook her head
Il never give away a kitten" she said, well
/ knowing what IT would mean TO deliver up any
| of her charges to such tender mercies.
The kitten looked at her with pathetic blue
] eyes and mewed piteously.
1T is too bad TO Kill it." said Mrs Turner.
l ''but it viii be better Off"
! she was on her way now to the destruction
shelter Of the Society for the Prevention OF
/ Cruelty to Animals, and she stepped on the
/ car with the satchel in her hand and one kitten
/ held against her bosom people eyed her curl
/ 11rrhey always do that" she said but I don't
! mind ii now I can see that they are wondering
! il 7 have any children and couldn't ind better
/ employment for my time. Well l did have
! children once-three beautiful boys-and they
were ali taken from nearly the same time
] That was fifteen years ago, and since then
/ t,sT1e 5sTo+ad myself 70 dumb animals I had
! 10 have something to fill the blank in my life
/ and an I'll used animal turned my attention to
! this work II haE grown gradually until now
/ n 6Ils all my time. and cannot escape from
/ il / sometimes wish I could but people report
! these things 10 me and when know an animal
/ is ST ering cannot rest TIL have done what
I can for H.
ct Is hard work and discoursging work
/ There ts no time OF the year when the streets
and cellars are not overrun with harmless SICK
dying and rnisused animals. and can do little
ia relieve them The S. ?. c. A neither appre-
ciates my efforts nor co-operates with me.
/ have reported and reported till l am sick and
tired of doing Il. l am disgusted with the So
ciety."
Here Mrs Turner stopped at the door or me
I society's building 22d-st-, where suherlhg
/ and suDerfuous animals are "huHaHeIy de-
/ stroved" The kittens were quickly transferred
from the satchel a straw hamper ana Whlle
one man disappeared with the hamper another
made a record of the case. he had hhFuiys mn
ished this forInality when the hrst man reap
reared The troubles OF the eight little kittens
were over for after being placed, IN the gas
tank they knew nothing more Ihus at tnis
time Of the year two hundred baby cats perish
every day.