The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-09-28
PIGS AND THEIR TRIALS.

A learned juri ;consult, NJ Berriat
ST. Prix, examining the archives of
the old French criminal courts, found
more than sixty accounts of trials in
which SWINE or other animals were
placed at the bar-as we should call
it--as criminals, or offenders accused
OF crime. These occurred at varou,
dates, from the twelfth century down
far into the Seventeenth-tle later
centuries of the middle ages and the
earlier of the modern. The church
had been accustomed to pronounce
anathemas, on some occasions, against
certain nUXious vermin, such as field
mice, May bugs, caterpillars, snails
and others hurtful to the farms end
gardens. But the criminal trial of
animals was different thing altogeth-
cr. The instances ferrctctl out by M
Berriat st PriX related mostly to Of
tenders of the porcine genus, but some
applied to bulls or cows and other
animals One of the trials took place
in the year 1866 The officer of JUS
tice of the Monastery of Sainte Gene
We've brought to- trial a hog that had
killed and partly devourcd poor lit
.le infant at Fountenay aux Roses
near Paris. The culprit, found guilty,
was sentenced TO the punishment of
beng roasted to death-an example of
roast pork which will probably be
rather new to most English readers.
Again, i'm the year 1886, magistrate
OF Falaisc, i'll Normandy, after formal
examination into the facts, condemned
SOW to be mutilated in the leg and
the head and then to be hanged for
having killed and partly devoured an
infant. OF course the prisoner at the
bar was neither asked nor expected to
give evidence in her own defense The
executiOner was furnished with new
gloves on the occasion. Again, the
judicial officer of the A b5e OF Beaupre,
near Beauvais, instituted formal in
quiry into n charge brought against
bull of having viciously killed maiden
thirteen years OF age in the Seigneurie
Of Cantry, a dependency Of the abbey.
The facts were Investigated, the animal
found guilty, sentence passed AMI the
bull put to death by hanging. SO far
as appears, the four footed beasts con-
demned after these curious trials were
not put out of the world in the usual
way they suffered the more ienomin-
ious death of felons. just before the
close OF the fifteenth century, in the
time of our Henry VII, geological
trial-if the term may he used-was
held concerning which NJ. Berriat st.
Prix gives us some of the technical
records OF procedure. 1t was held be-
fore the bailli or judicial officer of the
Abbey OF Josaphat near Chartres
Monday, April II, 1899, All inquiry
was held before us, at the request of
the procureur of Messieuis the Monks
of the Abbey of Josaphat, against
Jehan Delalande and his wife, prison.
ers in the Jail of this abbey, by reason
of the untlmely death of child, named
GilOn, about a year and q half old,
which child had oeen duly nursed and
nourished by its mother. The child
was murdered by pig, about the age
of three months, belonging to the said
Delalande and his wife Considering
the charge brought and the evidence
tlken, we have condemned ana do
Ii re y condemn the said pig, for the
L ison aud facts established, 20 lie
Ia .nged and executed by our execu-
i)ner, in the jurisdiction of Messieurs
oar Superiors, and by virtue of our
definite and lawful power. Given un-
der the count .rsign OF said baillage,
the year AMI day above named
Signed. 9. Briseg." There is no
statement that Delalande and his wife
bore any part Of the punishment in
tlicted OIL, their porcine property all
the Year Round