The Red Cloud chief., 1875-07-01

f1ther numerous class OF our
sfed population, known - chicken
lifters, owing t. TIVE very mysterious
accidents which occurred to members
of the brotherhood last Friday night.
II is q fact as we'll established a. that the
world ~rcvolvcs on its axis, that nicely
baked chicken pie, in large and fire.
quenf doses, Is essential to many q
dsrkey's happiness. II the honest mes
have not enough of Spinner's autographs
to get the chief ingredient honestly, they
first discover q densely populated hen.
roost, provide themselves with q box of
matches Qiberally tipped with sulphur,
and after bribing the dogs about the
place with a nice piece of beef, spiced
with s~trychnine, sally forth for a raid,
about the time when church yards even
grow sleepy and yawn. This trait of
character Is SO we'll defined that 10 pre-
sent any opposition to its free exercise
almost amounts to q violation of that
part OF the Constitution which guaran-
tees protection to every man in the ptr-
suit of happiness. 1t is even said that
the late lamented Sumner at one time
contemplated presenting a bill in Con.
gress, supplementary to the Civil Rights
bill, which should make II q crime pun
ishable with imprisonment for q man to
keep a shotgun who was engaged in the
poultry business. But, alas! he died be.
fore his mission was fulfilled, and this
fair land transformed into an Eden for
chicken lifters. No city in the country
has suffered o from this class of vag-
abonds than Memphis, but, thanks to
French ingenuity, a panacea for the
growing evil has been discovered, and
its name Is site torpedo chicken" This
little machiss is as neal q chicken as
human skill can make il. 1t is covered
with feathers, with perfect head, legs
and wings. 1t is soft to the touch, and
the legs and wings are flexible and can
be moved and placed in positions SINH.
lar to those of a genuine chicken, and
when set upon a perch the deception can
not he discovered even by an expert.
Like other chickens, too, if a burning
match is placed near its nose it topples
of the perch, and when it does it falls
with the weight and destructiveness of
a bombshsll. Inside of the automaton
is placed q torpedo, which explodes if il
is taken by the legs or struck with any
force. Hearing of this ingenious ma
chine. a FrOnt-street merchant recently
ordered q number of them with which to
experiment. Some half dozen of them
were secretly distributed Friday to per-
sons who complained of annoyance from
chicken thieves, and about the time
other chickens seek their rOOsts they
were placed co~nsp,cuously IN the hen
house, and the persons setting them re.
tired to bed to await results. A widow
lady named Mrs. p. Simmons, living in
Fort Pickering, who has been much an
noyed, and whose watch dog was poi.
only a few nights since, was SO
anxious to know the result of the expert |
ment that she sat up TO await the coming
Of the visitors. About l o'clock she |
heard some subdued voices outside the |
fence which surrounds her house, and
after the scrambling noise made by
a person climbing over the fence. Soon
lib ere was a fluttering in the hen house,
subdued csckle, and then a noise like
The discharge of a heavily loaded gun.
An agOnized shrek of pain and retreat.
ing footsteps told Of the success of the
machine. The lady, who before was
Tiled with anger and thought only of
vengeance on the thieves who had 80
frequently taken her chickens, was now
illed with alarm and half way regretted
'avlng used the torpedo chicken. She
lid not have the courage to go out doors
lone, but called to a neighbor who had
'cen aroused by the report. He accom-.
'anied her to the hen house, where a
.reat noise was being made by the sur
chickens. Several had been killed
nd some MANNED by the explosion. A
esrch was made for the torpedo chicken,
was finally found among the
wreck of poultry. The body of the
Machine was blown to atoms; but its two
egs were found intact, tightly grasped
y a huge black hand, which had been
literally torn from the arm. Death never
leld tighter to a dead niger than did
his negro's dead hand grasp those two
legs. As before stated, the ne
.ro rsa away as fast as it was possible
n be wounded condition, and if any
,ne finds q negro with q hand freshly
hOs of, lei him inform Chief Athy of the
act.
Another negro was brought to grief
he same night, by one of the same in
in the eastern suburbs. Traces
# blood were discovered leading from
he chicken roOsts, and 1t is believed he
will be arrested.
This i, indeed, q great invention, and
'astly superior to a trap gun. Its gen
raj use will sOon rid our city of q large
of chicken thieves who infest il.
The inventor, when he dies, should be
;anonized.-kemphis Apakanche.
Washingt0nb White Horses.
According to G. w. P. Gusts recol-