The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-11
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How a Criminal is tried
and Executed.
LIS -
Instances Of these peculiar
proceedings.
fss- &+ 49,
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The punishment melted out to
usurping Sparrow.

the particulars of trial By rocks which be
witnessed between fifty and sixty years
ago. He was riding along a quiet road la
the vicinity OF Norwich. when he was star
tied by sounds of an extraordinary COM
motion among the inhabitants of an ada
cent rookery. Securing his horse to a gate,
he cautiously crawfed for hundred feet
or so. to gap in the hedge of grass
field, to investigate proceedings. A trial
By jury was going on. The criminal rock
at frst appeared very perky and jaunty.
Ialthough encircled by about forty or fifty
Of an evidently indignant sable fraternity,
and assailed by the necessarily vehement
cawing of AZ outer ring. consisting of many
hundreds. each and all showing even
greater indignation than was manifested by
the more select number. Some crime or
other had evidently been committed against
rock law"
Even the scouts, although lowering
about in all directions, were so deeply alb
sorbed in the judicial proceeding that they
failed to notice their unlimited spectator
latter short time the accused was seen
suddenly and completely to change; his
head bowed. his wings drcoped, and he
lcawed family, as ii imploring mercy. 1t
was useless; his sentence had been passed
and was irrevocahie. The inner circle
pieces in few moments. leaving but
imangled carcus. judgment executed, the
vhole assembly set up q tremendous
screaming and dispersed; some seeking the
adjacent rookery, but the greater number
number flying across the felds. DR.. Cox
upon picking up the remains OF the Eapless
I'.criminal" was able to discern that it was
q male bird. Whether the offender in this
case had been convicted of theft. or of q
lcrime of even deeper dye, it Is of course
impossible to say; but it is commonly
: known that rocks are addicted to piiferiug
aud that if the robbery is detected-as it
almost always seems to be-the offender lie
punished. 1t has been noticed that young
rocks will often piller twigs or other use
IfuI materials from the nests OF their elders
with which to build their own domicilee
quickly; and although they are too cum
lining TO be caught in the act, only com
hitting theirs thefts when both the owners
lot the nest are absent. the robbery seems
e always 10 get known. When the crime
has been discovered and proved. eight or
ten rocks are apparently deputed the act
on behalf of the whole community; they
proceed to The convict's nest, and in few
minutes scatter it to the winds.
Similar judicial proceedings are known
to he proper to the raven, and an interest
Gated by we'll known AlpHse tourist TO
the lesdiug journal OF Geneva last summer
During an excarsion to the Swiss noun
tains. he accidentally came upon a small
) secluded geE, which was surrounded by
ltrees; AID nes having done anything to
reveal liz presence be became
2 90 ene3 eecte6 Siiregs of . singular
sseetacle. About s;x;y or seventy
. ravens were ranged in ring round one OF
IN cir follows. evidently reputea culprit,
md, with much ciatter o. tongues and
. wings, were engaged in discussing his al
legged delinquencies. At intervals they
: paused In their debate, 10 order to permit
the accused to reply. which he did most
| yociEerously and with intense energy: but
all this expostulations were speedily
drowned 10 deafen!ng chorus of dissent
Eventually, the court appears to have ar
rived at the unanimous conclusion that the
lfsIon had utterly failed to exculpate him.
self; and they suddenly few at him from
| all sides, and tore him to pieces with their
! powerful beaks. Having executed their
sentence. they speedily disappeared leav-
ling the mangled corpse Of the unfortunate
bird as q warning to all evi.-loers.
A most remarkable instance of spar
row perpetrating a shameful theft. and its
punishment. has been recorded by Father
4
of language among aDimals-as have taken
place on the banks of the Leven, IN
lFifeshire "A sparrow finding O pes,
Z that martin har just built. possessed
n himself of it. The martin. seeing the
: ursurper 70 her house. called for help tc
y expel bin. A thousand martins came
J. full spead. and attacked the sparrow; but
q the latter being covered on every side, ane
, presenting only his large beak at tbs en-
+ lance of the nest, was iEvuinerable, anc
20 made the boldest of them that burst ap
% proach him repent OF their temerity
After a quarter of an hours combat al
e, the martins disappeared. The sparrow
I'd thought he had got the better, and tb,
=, spectator judged that the martins has
TT abandoned their undertaking. Not in tn
lie least. They i'm ediately returned to tn
X charge; and each of them having procuret
little of that tempered earth with which
they build their nests. they all at once fel
upon the sparrow, and inclosed him in tn
: pest to perish there. though they soul'
/. not drive him thence"
Another equally tragic story is recorded
by the Rev. G. Gogerly iD the Pioneers
4 his narrative of the Bengal mission 'Th
1amingo," he remarks, SIS common in tn,
!. low, marshy lands of Bengal, My friend
. Mr.. Lacroix-the well known missionary
L WDe0 once eaiIB& HI HIS DoAt up III
Hooehly, went. on shore. His stesntio
d was shortly directed to larger gatherin
of these peculiar looking birds in feel
some little distance off. Knowing thei
r. timid character, he approached as near a
he could without being observed or excl,
= ing alarm; and hiding himself behind
tree noticed all their proceedings, whic
we're of o most remarkable character
After a great deal Of noisy olamor the
formed themselves into q circle. in tn
n centre of which one of their number wa
Z left standing alone. Again there was
\ considerable amount of screechiDg Dir
- oratory. when suddenly all the birds fe'
on the unhappy solitary one and LITERAL
= tore him to pieces The conclusion whic
Ms Mr.. Lacroix came 10 was. that one oftbes
D. fiamingoes had committed an offeDc
% against the rules of their order, that b
had been tried by kind of court MARTA
was found guilty and had been adjadgee
and met With, immediate puuis hment.
H. Gwen up by Doctors.