The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-10
FLED AFTER SCRATCHING WOMAN

From the Washington Times.
Covered with coal smut from head to
tail tip. as grimy and disreputable as
the yeriest back yard stray Lady
Sonia, the prize Siamese cat, valued at
$500. and wearing a $500 necklace, which
escaped into the cellar of the cat show
quarters In Kramer's greenhouse, 916
F street. last night, after biting and
scratching Miss Gertrude Taylor was re-
covered early this morning by her owner.
Mrs. F. Y. Matthias of Greenwich, Conn.
Thoroughly repenant for her misdeeds,
and disgusted with the dark and the dirt
of coalbins, Lady Sonia answered her
mistress call eagerly and was rescued
through a trap door leading into the
boiler room of the building about o'clock.
Mrs Matthias and friend, Miss Marion
johnson, both wept tears of joy at the
recovery of the lady, and the glad news
was communicated to Miss Taylor, who
had spent a sleepless night at her hotel,
worried more by the cats disappearance
than the wounds inflicted by the ladys
claws and teeth.
Lady Sonia was taken to Mrs. Matthias
rooms and thoroughly bathed and
scrubbed. She rebelled vigorously but
futilely. Later she was placed under
lock and key while Mrs. Matthias and
Miss Johnson removed the traces of coal
bins and murky cellars caused by their
search. Mrs. Johnson crawled the length
of building ina chute in the cellar not
over three feet square. using fiashlight
In the attempt to find Lady Sonia When
Miss johnson emerged her gown was
ruined and her make up would have gone
well for a Topsy in an Uncle Toms
| Cabin production.
| Both Mrs. Matthias and Miss Johnson
spent the night in the greenhouse, with
| the exception of about two hours early
this morning. The former would have
liked to had the cat with her all the time
this morning. but the rules of the hotel
| barred even prize ones from the dining
room. Not knowing this. Mrs. Matthias
took Lady Sonia to her table the first
morning she spent at the hotel and was
feeding her when she was informed of
the rules of house.
| At 10 o'clock the three women escorted
| Lady Sonia back to the cat show quar-
| ters, where she was placed again in her
cage, where she is expected to stay un-
til the exhibit ends tomorrow night.
please make it plain that she is not
vicious" said Mrs. Matthias this morning.
| ''She was simply frightened, that is all.
Miss Taylor was handling her and every
thing would have been all right if two
| colored men had not hurried forward at
| that moment to get closer look at her.
| "She never saw colored person before
and their rush forward frightened her
| most to death. She didn't realize that
she was biting or scratching Miss Taylor.
She is the most amiabe creature in the
world"
After the cat, wearing $500 turquoise
and gold necklace, had fought clear of
| Miss Taylor's arms. it bolted into the
cellar, the pursuers and babble of voices
and glare of lights only serving to make
| it crawl deeper into the dungeons be-
meath the main floor. Only prompt action
of several attendants prevented the es-
cape of several other cats which had been
taken out of their cages to pose for pic
lures, and which became scared at the
| hubbub
| Alarmed at Miss Taylor's wounds,
call was sent to the Emergency hospital
but before the ambulance arrived she had
been treated by DR.. Carl S. Keyser.