The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-03-05
A MUROER0US CAT
THE FELINE SUCKED A BA-
BY'S BREATH AWAY
WHILESLEEPING.
"Keep Cats Away from Your Sleep
ing Infant" Is Warning to
?" Mothers, from DR.. Thomas
81. Laidley-Other
News.

81. Laidley-Other
News. y
San Francisco Examiner, of
Feb. 49,: In this skeptical, scien-
tifc age, we are accustomed to scof
at everything we cannot explain.
We deny that witchcraft ever exist.
ed except in the superstitious minds
of those who prosecuted unfortun-
ates whom they believed to be thus
"possessed." We emile at the efforts
OF certain pseudo-scientific enthusi-
: asts to prove phenomena which our
senses cannot detect-such as the
presence about us of the spirits of
the dead. We insist on keeping in
the category Of old superstitions the
tstatement that the lives of infants
! are sacrificed to horrible, instinc-
| tive passion in cats to inhale their
breath, thus sufocating them.
The aforementioned belief, which
! was quite general up to century
ago, probably is the most difficult
of all for RS to credit in this age.
For this reason the documents
printed are of really extraordinary
interest on the subject. Both the
mother, who witnessed the awful
spectacle of great black cat draw
ing the last breath from the, lungs
of her baby that was living and
we'll few minutes before, and the.
coroner, whose jury in Its verdict
corroborated her statement, make
declarations which cannot beignor-
ed, coupled with warnings to all
other mothers of infants to keep
cats out of the house. -
| The two statements printed in
this article contain all the real
knowledge thatexists on this weird
subject. As explained by the de-
putty coroner OF Alleghany county,
Pa, where the tragedy occurred,
medical men are unable to account
for the phenomenon.
Deputy Coroner Laidley's theory
that cats gain sort Of pleasurable
Iintoxlcation through inhaling the
vitiated and slightly poisonous air
from the lungs of infants differs
from the ancient theory, wherein
the odor of milk was what fascinat'
ed the animal. Reptiles have been
said to be menace to infants in
the same way from the same cause.
Plainly it is only the sleeping in
FAINT that can be in any such dang
er, for. being awake, it's cries would
: frighten the animal away aud alarm
the household. It is, perhaps, con
ceivable that, asleep, the child thu:
attacked might succumb to suffoca
ton without ever awakening or ap
preciating its peril.
At any rae, the two statement
which follow are from ources W hic1
entitle them to respect, and they
contain circumstantial accounts O
the onl instance of this pature tha
has had official recognition IN mod
ern times.
cit must bs true that my baby
my only child-was killed by tn
cat sucking the breath from its lit
tie body. The coroner believes it
and that was the verdict of the co.
oner's jury.
"Besides I saw the cat crouchin,
on the breast of my baby with 1t
nose pressed tight against my littl
ones nestrils.
"Only little while before tn
child had been iu perfect health
NOW it was dead.
ST had heard of such ho1ribl
| things, but did not believe them
thought them merely ancient su
| perstitions. Even when my neigh
Dor, Mrs. Neunberg, spoke Of it AM
warned me to keep the cat out Q
-lthe room where the baby slept,
laughed at her; I had no idea sue
q thing was possible, any more tha
T witchcraft is.
i Little Bermanitta Maria was m
! only child. She was six month
| and one day old Never had sh
I been i'll. She was bright all day an
I every day. =
III .Itwas on Tuesday, January 2:
I that Isaw her alive last. After
! had nursed her che went to slee
| and I put hersin rear room In
! cradle while washed lupsthe sui
I per dishes.
VI Fifteen minutes later I. went int
: the sleeping room to get anotht
| dry towel to complete my wor
& with the dishes and noticed the CT
1 in the cradle.