LETS BEGIN

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true, the names have not been changed to protect the guilty as narrated by Sergeant Joe Friday aka Jack Webb in the radio and TV series Dragnet!  My modified rendition of the Dragnet introduction!

Our one year old cat Bullet was missing in the spring of 1988, between April 8 and 9th and came home at 3:15 PM on the 9th with red paint sprayed over fifty (50) percent of his back.  After scouting the adjacent woods, I found  a live trap on the property of William D. Hightower, local business owner, (deceased 2007), whereas the live trap had red paint sprayed on it.

I wrapped Bullet in a towel and carried him to the Anson County Magistrate's Office here in Wadesboro, NC on April 9, 1988 and took out a warrant on William D. Hightower for cruelty to animals.

Upon arriving back home, my bride aka Joyce and myself went to work removing the spray paint from Bullet that had dried.  I believe we used lighter fluid and warm soapy water to remove the red spray paint which was a job for sure.

Bill Hightower hired two lawyers, Charles Collini and Mark Lowe to represent him, of which the case was postponed three times, whereas they were avoiding a certain Judge, of which I will not name and finally they succeeded in getting a Judge they wanted.

NOTE:  Bill Hightower had a brother Avery Hightower who was a very powerful attorney here in Wadesboro, NC and would be akin to the TV series lawyer Perry Mason, since Avery rarely if ever lost a case.  Makes one wonder why Bill didn't hire his brother to represent him...............grin if you must!

PIX OF BULLET SPRAY PAINTED RED

SIDE NOTE:  I named the cat bullet because he could run so fast, but he couldn't outrun Bill's live trap and paint spray can!

If the above is not cruelty to animals, I don't know what is!

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE ONLY, UNTIL MARK LOWE OPENED HIS MOUTH IN COURT

I did not see Bill Hightower spray paint our cat, although the trap was on his property as stated with red paint on it.

The deciding factor in the above case was that Mark Lowe talked with me in chambers and stated, "That his client admitted he spray painted my cat and wanted me to be a good neighbor and drop the charges" of which I told him I would not do so. 

To reiterate, when the case was due in court, Bill Hightower's attorney Mark Lowe would call before the court date and state, the case had been postponed for whatever reason; client on vacation, etc., and I did not need to be in court, but I was there every time the case was brought up as was Bill's attorneys.

I guess Mark Lowe thought I had just arrived on a turnip truck from Mexico or a banana boat from Venezuela or something of the sort!   As stated before, They postponed the court date three times avoiding a particular Judge, of which I will not name and finally got the Judge they wanted to hear the case.........grin if you must!

CASE BROUGHT TO TRIAL

Finally, the case was brought to trial and I don't believe Bill's attorneys were too concerned about the case since it was all circumstantial evidence anyway, because I did not see Bill trap and spray paint the cat, although I had pictures of the cat with the red paint over 50 percent of the cats back and as stated the live trap was on Bill's property with red paint on it..

The District Attorney asked me several questions under oath concerning the case and I asked the Judge could I elaborate further and told the Judge what Bill Hightower's attorney Mark Lowe had told me in chambers.  Bill's attorney Mark Lowe, when his "light bulb" finally came on several long seconds later, apparently without thinking, stated, "That was privileged information between his client and himself", whereas the Judge stated, "You should have kept it to yourself."  

With my above statement introduced into the court record along with Mark Lowe's response,  Bill's attorneys then tried to persuade the court that marking animals with paint was common practice in the cattle industry and not cruelty to animals, but the Judge did not go for their ludicrous bologna.  I have yet to see a cow, hog, or any other farm animal  with over 50 percent of its back painted as a means of identification.

CAT MAN FOUND GUILTY

William aka Bill Hightower was found guilty of cruelty to animals, a small fine imposed and had to pay the cost of court.  As the two attorneys where leaving the courtroom, Bill Hightower's spouse Martha Hightower was laying some serious "chin music" on those two high dollar attorneys that were just defeated in court.  Sometimes the little guy wins!  I am still grinning to this date!  The story made national headlines and some locals called Bill Hightower CAT MAN when they went by his place of business up town when Bill was standing out front and he would quickly retreat back inside.  It is to my understanding he received hate mail from all across the country.

I had a couple radio stations call asking for details of the incident after the court hearing.

TRANSCRIPT FROM THE ANSON RECORD JULY 21, 1988

William D. Hightower of Wadesboro was found guilty of cruelty to animals in Anson County District Court Tuesday, bringing to an end - after three continuances - the unusual and well-publicized "cat case."

Hightower was ordered to pay court costs.

William M. Porter of White Store Road in Wadesboro testified that his cat had been painted red sometime between April 8 and 9, and that he found a baited cage trap stained with red paint at the edge of his neighbor Hightower's yard.

Porter also testified, over the objections of one of Hightower's attorney, Mark Lowe, that Lowe had admitted to him Hightower had painted the animal and had asked him to drop the charges.

The state argued that Hightower had maliciously lured the cat with the baited trap and caused stress and and psychological pain to the cat by painting him.

Lowe and Hightower's other attorney, Charles Collini, insisted that painting a cat does not violate the state cruelty to animals statute and there was no malicious intent.  Lowe told the court Hightower was protecting, bluebirds, which Hightower feeds in his backyard.

Lowe said the cat had killed birds and walked on and damaged Mrs. Hightower's automobile.

Judge F. T. Horner found Hightower guilty.  "I was going to dismiss the case for lack of evidence, but you've already admitted it now," he said.  He said that since there was no permanent damage done to the cat, he would only charge Hightower with court costs.

WEEKLY WORLD NEWS, PAGE 27 SEPTEMBER 6, 1988 GAVE A SYNOPSIS OF THE CASE ALSO.

The Weekly World News, page 27 September 6, 1988 gave some of the details of the court case.  I have a copy of the article hyperlinked here.  One other newspaper and/or magazine stated, "Cat Man found guilty......"

BULLET WOULD NOT STAY AT HIS NEW HOME

We purchased our home in July 1989 and brought Bullet with us from White Store Road, but Bullet would not stay here and would go back to the home on 404 White Store Road which was approximately 1/2 mile from our current home.  My bride got Bullet a couple of times and the last time she got him, he did a fit, therefore she did not bring him to our current home anymore.  Bullet was seen around town, but don't know what eventually happened to him.

I asked Bill Hightower years later, "Was he still trapping cats, and he said No., he was broke from that."   I like to say, that he was "broke from sucking eggs!"

Check the short story The Disappearance of Bandit which will tie both stories together.

SUMMATION

In SUMMATION, mankind being the stronger has the power to decide who or what lives or dies at the other’s expense, but the question is, “Is it morally right”?  We are entrusted to be good stewards over what God has created and this is a tremendous responsibility and task for all of us.  Animals, fowl, fish and all of our natural resources are utilized by all of us in one form or another for sustenance, but the needless, reckless destruction and wastefulness of the same without the employment of proper management techniques will bring devastating results as history has shown us many, many times in the past.

The ones that usurp their power, authority and control over less fortunate and abuse creatures, lower plant and animal forms, natural resources and yes, mankind; will have to answer and reap their just reward from the true Judge of all.

We may escape man’s judgment, but God’s judgment is inevitable and final.  Before you kill that harmless garden snake, step on a passing insect, throw that too small fish just caught on the bank to die, etc., and ask yourself this question! Does not this creature desire to live?  Make the right decision.  Self-preservation and survival is common to all things. I am sure ole Bandit wanted to live also.

STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

I believe in standing up for what is right!

I am not a member or financially support any Animal Rights Protection Organization, of which a large percentage of the moneys collected go to the "Big Wigs" at the top of the food chain as administrative costs, etc., in my humble opinion.  Many of said organizations do a great service of protecting the rights of animals, but not all the bleeding heart commercials we see and hear do so.  You definitely cannot believe all the reviews either, since many fabricate their own reviews.

Yes, I know I am a doubting Thomas, which is not all that bad in my humble opinion!  I do donate to various charities of my choice that helps mankind in general!

Web page published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 04-19-2022.

THE BALLARD OF OLE BULLET

Just below Union County border
Wadesboro is the spot
Where cruelty to animals is on the up rise
And Ole Bullet the neighbor got.

Now Bullet's owner and his neighbor
Just could not get along,
The neighbor being the weaker one
Did Ole Bullet wrong.

Now Ole Bullet liked to ramble
And we know a kitty is no saint
The neighbor's trap was set and ready
So was his can of spray paint.

Now they turned Ole Bullet loose
Like a wild cat he raced straight home to his bed
At first glance his owner did not know him
Because Ole Bullet was painted blood red.

Soon the fur began to fly
Bullet's owner did not think it was a sport
He did not yell and cuss his neighbor
He just took his a** to court.

Author Unknown

LEAVING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take this moment to accept him by Faith into your Life, whereby Salvation will be attained.   

Ephesians 2:8 - 2:9 8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Open this link about faith in the King James Bible.

IN GOD WE TRUST - GOD BLESS AMERICA - "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE"   JOHN 3:16 KJV