Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-10
THE TORPEDO CHICKEN.
One Of the Ages Nest Marvellous In
VentiOns-HO More Raided Hen
ROOsfs.
Memphis Avalanche.


Memphis Avalanche.
There Is great cOnsternatiOn among a
certain rather numerous class Of our col
ored population, known as chicken Lift
ems, owing to two very mysterious ac-
eidents which occurred to members Of
the brotherhood last Friday night. Il
is a fact as well established as that
the world reTOlves on its axis, that
nicely baked chicken pie, IN large and
frequent doses, is essential to many dar-
keys happiness. If the dishonest ones
have not enough Of Spinner's autographs
to get the chief ingredient honestly, they
first discovers densely populated henroost,
provide themselves with a box CT matches
Qiberally tipped with sulphur, and after
bribing the dogs about the place with a
nice piece Of
BEEF, sPICED WITH sTRYCHNINE,
sally forth for a raid, about the time when
chuTchyards even grow sleepy and yawn.
This trait Of character is 50 well defined
that to present any opposition 10 its free
exercise almost amounts to 4 violation of
that part OF the Constitution which guar
antees protection to every man in the pur-
suit Of happiness. II IS even said that the
late lamented Sumner at one time con-
templated presenting a bill in Congress,
supplementary TO the Civil Rights bill,
which should make it a crime punish
able with Imprisonment for man to keep
a shotgun who was engaged in the poultry
business. But, alas be died before his
mis- ion was fulfilled, and this fair land
transformed iEtO an Eden for chicken
lifters. No city in the country has suf-
ferea more from this class Of vagabOnds
than Memphis, but, thanks 10 French in
genuity, a panacea for the growing evil has
been discovered, and its name is
"THE TORPEDO CHICKEN"
This little machine is as near a chicken
as human skill can make it. It 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 similar TO those Of
a genuine chicken, and when set upon a
perch the deception cannot be discovered
even by an expert. Like o.her chickens,
too, if burning match is placed near its
nose it topples of the perch, and when it
does it falls with the weight aud destruc-
tiveness Of a bOmbshell. Inside Of the
autOmatOn is placed a torpedo, which ex-
plOdes if it is taken by the legs or struck
with any force. Hearing Of this ingenious
AAA1[lAA6 q E4UAAG elaEEI DlELELlAuL IEEGIlLLM
ordered 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 cOnspicuOusly in the hen houses,
and the person setting them retired 10 bed
TO await results. A widow lady named
NJ S. p. Simmons, living in Fort Pickering,
who has been much annoyed, and whose
watchdog was poisoned only few nights
since, was so anxious to know the resuls Of
the experiment that she sat up to
AWAIT THE COMING
Of the visitors. About / O'Clock she heard
some subdued voices outside the fence
which surrounds her house, and soon after
the scrambling noise made by 4 person
climbing over the fence. Soon there was d
futtering in the hen-hOuse, a subdued
cackle, and then a noise ike the discharge
Of heavily loaded gun. An agOnized shrek
Of pain and Tetreating footsteps told Of
the success Of the machine. The lady,whO
before was filed with anger and thought
only Of vengeance on the thieves who had
so frequently taken her chickens, was now
filed with alarm and half way regretted
having used the torpedo chicken. She did
not have the courage to 90 out doors alone,
but called to a neighbOr who had been
aroused By the report. He accom-
panied her to the hen-hoUse, where a great
noise was being made by the surviving
chickens. Several had been killed and
some manned by the explosion. A search
was made for the torpedo chicken, which
was finally found among the wreck Of
poultry. The body Of the machine was
BLOWN To ATOMS,
but its two legs were found intact, tightly
grasped by huge black hand, which had
been literally torn from the arm. Death
never held tighter to a dead niger than
did this negroes dead hand grasp these
two chicken legs. As before stated, the ne
gro ran away as fast as it was possible in
his wounded condition, and if. any one
finds a negro with hand freshly shot of,
let him inform Chief Athy Of the fact.
Another negro was brought to glief the
same night, by one Ofthe same instruments,
in the Eastern suburbs. Traces Of blood
were discovered leading from the chicken
rOOst, and it IS believed be will be az
rested.
This is, indeed, a great invention, and
vastly superior to the trap gun. Its gen
eral use will soon rid our city Of the large
number Of chicken thieves who infest It.
The inventor, when he dies, should be
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