Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-28
A COON CAT
Figures in Assault and
Battery Case.
Instance Where Actions Spoke
Louder Than Words.
Judge Andrews Has Busy Session Of
Court, Wednesday Morning.

Wednesday morning was one of the
busiest that Judge Andrews has had in
the municipal court room for some
time, and while the business on hand
was vested in but three cases, the
greater part Of the forenoon was used
up in the administration of justice and
the settlement of the cases to the sat
isfaction of all concerned.
Two of the cases which came up were
| for assault and battery, and one of
them was entitled to place among the
| most novel and at the same time the
most amusing that was ever heard be
fore the Augusta tribunal. The inno-
cent cause of all the trouble in that
case was a coon cat of an uncertain age
and of a color that might be called
gray or very blond shade of maltese.
The principals in the case were
Madame Brann, the well known clair
voyant, and Edward Abbott, both par
ties being residents of the city. Mr..
Abbott was in court in answer to a
warrant sworn out against him by
Madame Brann, and charging him with
assault and battery.
In her story to the court Madame
Brann stated that she owned several
cats, among them the coon cat men,
toned above, and that since November
| the cat had been in possession of Mr..
Abbott. She further stated that the cat
had been shut up for a portion of the
time in Mr.. Abbott's cellar, and that
| when on one occasion the cat had been
seen by her on his piazza, and she had
gone over, accompanied by her son. and
had taken the cat in her arms with the
intention of carrying it home. Mr.. Abb
bolt had taken her by the wrists, MAX
ing her drop the cat. and had also
showed and pushed her i'll way that
had hurt her. hence her action.
MI. AbbOtt's story was somewhat
different. He said that the cat had
come to his house some time in August.
of her own free will and accord, and
without any inducement on his part.
He also said that the cat found that
in the refuse barrel which seemed to
suit her taste III the line of edibles to
an extent that she seemed satisfied to
remain at the house. She was, he
said, in no way restrained from going
where and when her fancy willed, and
he also claimed that he did not know to
whom the cat belonged, nor did he have
any reason to believe that she belonged
to Madame Brann.
Further testimony was introduced by
Madame Rrann to show that she had
owned the cat for about eight years,
and she also stated that she thought
that She could prove that the cat was
her property by showing to the court
that the cat would stand being hitched
by a cord. She had, she said, trained
the cat in that way, and while it was a
very common thing to hitch dog in
any place that it was desired that he
should remain, it was a very unSual
thing to do with Il cat. and as far as
she knew her cat was the only one
which would submit to anything of the
kind.
The court decided at this juncturc
that the only way of settling the case
was to bring the cat into the court
room, and accordingly Deputy Mar
shall Hanks was dispatched in search OF
the animal. No search warrant WAS
required to get possession of the cats
person, and after an interval of per-
haps half an hour. the search of the
officer having been successful, he re-
turned to the court room, and let the
cat out of the bag.
Some nervousness was felt on the
part of some of the spectators as to
what the cat would do when turned
loose in the presence of so many
strangers and amid such unfamiliar