St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-01-05

A couple of young showmen were ar
rested in Washington City, q few days
ago upon the complaint OF the Humane
Society, charged with cruelIy to ami
mails. They were exhibiting living
headless rooster, which has been shown
as curiosity for nearly Il year in Eir-
ginia. The agent of the society claimed
that it was a clear case OF cruelty. The
young showmeD, however, maintained
that the ROSTERS head had been chopped
off in the ordinary way, but thatit was
noticed he did not die, and they had
nursed it so well it had continued to
live. Food and water were administer
ed regularly four times day, and they
said the chicken grew fat under the
treatment. They admitted that they
exhibited the great wonder for gam,
but claimed incidentally that it was in
the interest OF Science. The court i'm
posed fine of $50, but when the So
cietv suggested the killing of the mutt
lated fowl it was met with Il notice
from the attorney of defendant that
the curiosity was valued at $500, and
that amount would be demanded in the
event the rooster was destroyed. The
whole case will now be tried upon the
testimony of erts.-[Times-Demo-
crat.
The above is a pretty steep story, bnt
we fail to see where the cruelty to
animals' comes in; if that rooster had
sense enough to live without head, he
deserved to be PFC tected, and the cruel
ty would have been in killing him, if
possible, after he refused to die with
the loss of his head. There was GER
tainly no cruelty in showing him. Re-
Gently we read that some French physi-
clan was condemned to be guillotined
for some crime, and another physician
made arrangements with him to ascer-
tain if there was memory Immediately
after death or the seyering of the head
from the body. The sign agreed upon,
and practiced before death, was that
the right eye was to wink, if possible,
three times, Immediately after it was
cut from the body. The other physi-
clan stood ready to receive the head
when the guillotine did it's work; its
eyes stared him in the face, and the eye
winked once, but failed in the second
attempt. Memory was probably there
for an instant after that where was it,
or didit cease to exist, and was that
mans life as if it had never been? Is
the " outer darkness" that the wicked
are condemned to, simply extinction9
The head of a common mud turtle
will live and bite viciously, after it has
been severed from the body, till decQm-
position begins.
A contemporary speaking.of Christmas,
says:
II is a suggestive period in all Chris
tion communities, and even the stran-
gers within our gates, who regard the
religion of Christ as but fable, feel the
of the hour, and admit that
sit is more blessed to give than to re-
ceive.n The high Specification of
Christmas reaches beyond the mere en-
joyment of family festivities and the
exchange OF friendly offerings. In the
human family the needy are numerous,
and it is the glorious privilege of those
who have been favored with heavens
DOUuIlGS III lGdEu sGn0 luxury u uOlDS
good" by a generosity of bestoYal and
a catholicity of 1argess worthy of the
Supreme Giver who is indirectly, if not
the giyer Of all good gifts.
In the christian city Of New York,
which is probably a type Of all, it seems
the tramps and Migrants, the poor and
hungry, do not have much faith that
this GLORIOUS privilege viii be gener-
ally exercised, and they go in for the
main chance by committing some Of
tense that will cause than to be arrest
ed and sent to the prison on BlackwelPs
island, where one good square meal does
more good to a hungry stomach than all
the sermons on charity that were ever
preached.
Senator Butler says, in explanation of
his proposed amendment to the United
States Constitution to insert the word
"natiyityn before the words trace, color
or previous condition of servitude," that
he was in Rhode Island at an election,
and saw man who had fought gallant
" in the Union army. He was lieu
tenant colonel and shot all to pieces.
The senator saw negroes voting, but
the white Union soldier could not, be-
cause he was So unfortunate as TO be
born in Canada. Now continued the
RI j u IL, L :