New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-15
THE DUrcHESS COUNTY CHICKEN

In the good old days before the war "a worthy
coorcd divine felt moved to preach n sermon
against chicken-stcaling. The duty done, the
dominic remarked with considerable warmth to
q friend whom ne met on his way home from
church that never again should he preach on
that theme. why not ?" Because, brother
Johusipg, | noticed that the sermon cast
gloom over the entire congregations II If
earnestly 10 be hoped that the rtp"ttion oi TINS
interesting ante bellum anecdote Will
not be regarded in any quarter ms III
tho nature of an insidIOus attempt
TO wave the bloody shirt. What We
started ont to say SIMPLY was that there Is
reason TO apprehcnd that the preaching OF "A
similar sermon to-day in certain portions OF
Du,chess County might have n similar effect
upon the congregation.
For The Poaghkeepsic EdgIe makes it clear
that chickens rcsiuiug in the Doighborhood OF
that city must roost uncommonly high THESE
DAYS. if they would not perish like the autumn
leaf. Miss Emily Ayrault testified, 50 nc rage
reports. that II week ago last Tuesday chick
ems were stolen from her fathers place.
= They belonged to her. One was Plymouth
Rock pulct, very large, and the other
- roostcr.- This evidence was given in the
Recorders Court of POughkccpsio in chicken
case in which Chauncey Daniels was good
deal Interested. 1t was suspected that Dir.
Daniels had made away with the Plymouth
Rock pullet and mt the conclusion OF the trial
he got six months in the penitcntiaIy. One oil
the witnesses against him was james ID. Will
Jams. James would appear 10 be fond OF chick
ems himself. For we read in The EGg't that it
was brought out on the crOss-cXamination that
"he had been stealing chickens for five or SIX
weeks" An industrious man who pays strict
attention to business should be able 10 accumu
late a large stock of poultry in the course OF
five or six weeks. In addition to Miss Ayrault
(of Dutchess) Mr. Uuderhill (Of Dutchessl, Mr..
Van Wagenen (of Dutchess). Mr.. Burnam (of
Dutcbcss) are among those who mourn van
isbed bullets IA those that have no hope. Any
gentleman who has The agency Tor II first rate
patcnt lock with dynamite attachment for
chickcn-houses would do well to canvass
Duchess County.
One point was brought out i'll Mr.. Williamss
evidence which furnishes food for grave rclec-
tjon to the moralist. He sworo that CON
spiracy to steal eight Brahma chickens was
matured between him, Daniels aud a colored
gentleman named johnson over game Of
cuchrc. in a saloon. Can there be any mysteri-
ous relation between "the joker" and Ply
mouth Rock pullcts,or between the right bower
and Brabma roosters7 When Mr.. Chauncey
Daniels announced his intention of going it
alone" did his feOwp players understand that
he had concluded to make his next raid on n
hcnnery an expedition OF onef We should
have supposed that game Of seven-up would
better have suited the solemn occasion. Mr.
Daniels evidently had n hand both high and
low when he reached up for the Brahma rooster
and down for the humble pullct, but the Dutch
ess County authorities undoubtedly scored both
lack and the final point when they closed the
game by capturing the knave.