The evening world., 1908-12-03
Tom Lindley Can't Help IL
When He Sees Men in
Harlem Office.
May LOSE NINE LIVES.
Repeated Doses of Poison
Seem Not TO Have Ended
Any of Them.

The Hawieshaws and Lecocus Of the
Harlem Detective Bureau presented a
round robin TO Inspector THOMPSON to-,
day demanding the life OF Tom IdndIey
Ihey demanded permission b. shoot.
smother or club the nine lives out of
Tom. declaring that otherwise they
would all be plunged into nervous nrns-
tration.
TO slay Tom Lindley would not he
homicide, nor. say the detectives. would
II be catacide The belief now obtains
that Tom is something moro than cat
though in appearance he has all the
ATTRIBUTES of back-door-s,ep yowler.
There Is something uncanny about
him. according to Detective Mulligan.
He's too blame sarcastic" saws De-
tective Har-rtgan. and He's got a hell
OF voice" adds Detective Brannigar.
Tom Iindley Is large and tiger
striped. a great rat-catcher and wise
beyond his kind. He is the beloved
property o, matrons Murphy and Quinn.
He got along beautifully with the uni
formed members of the force until the
detective bureau was shifted from St
Nichoas avenue quarters to the West
One Hundred and Twtnty-fifth street
station.
They Don't Fool Tom.
The bureau men are now cramped in
the two small rooms designed as offices
for Capt. Thompson ard Inspector
Thompson. In and out of these rooms
pass the sleuths. made-up and with
plain face. Now and then they are dis
gudsed as millionaires, more often as
laborers and hoboes
Whatever the Disguise when they en-
ter the station house they always find
Tom Lindley sitting before the doors of
their green rooms. swishing his tail and
looking wise. Furthermore, the cat pen-
etrates their DISCUSSES and laughs sar-
| donically. Often he will go into costa
cies Of mirth. turn somersaults, hump
his hair and cast off sparks.
Harrigan came in the other day dis
guised AZ leader of fashion. He wore
patent leather shoes, a paper rose in his
buttonhole and a top hat. But Tom
Lindley wasn't fooled. He began grin
ming from ear to ear, and was 30 over
come with amusement that lie hid his
face In his paws. Later he followed
Harrigan into his makeup booth, where
he gave way to riotous mirth, running
up and down the wall. declares Harri.
gan. and cutting up "damnable."
Brings In His Friends.
Harrlgan had been out all night and
was dead for sleep. but when he turned
into his bunk there was Tom LndIey at
che foot OF the bed wearing Cheshire
cat grin and making uncanny sounds
Whenever l1armgan would fail away
into sleep he woud be awakened by
yowl or delight that issued Irom the
lips of the hated cat.
And so II has gone. day after day,
The cat giving the seuths The aush
and torturing them in their sleep. y w
and then. when, particularly well
pleased with his Joke on the detectives
thin DISCUSSES. Tom Lindley will go out
and bring back haf dozen other cats
with well developed senses OF humor.
He viii lead them up TO the dormi-
tories where the tired ilawhshaws In
nocenty sumber. Inc them UP before the
chorus of cat laughter.
Vain efforts have been made TO poison
the laughter-loving, sardonic cat. Ar
senic enough to annihilate an OK has
been introduced into Tom l.indley's
saucer OF cream. but the cat licked up
the poison with relish and became more
sarcastic than ever.
Poison Whets His Appetite.
Tender slices of ment have been
smeared with rough hon rats. but Tom
and invaded the dormitory with n
broader grin than customary, lodged
blackiacks and boots with merry capers
and then went out on the roof and
called a convention of eghty-odd cats
We get the figures from Harrigan,
Inspector Thompson Is adrft in sea