Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-21
AN EXPENSIVE CHICKEN.
Alive 1t Costs Cents and Dead Dol
lars,

From the Fe,o York Times.
G. t. Cunningham, one of the genial
proprietors OF the Hotel Brighton, Coney
Island, was very much amused yesterday
as he related his first experience in the
legal profession and dwelt upon his uE-
successful but ludicrous debut. Mr.. Cum
bingham and his partner, J. j. McGrath,
have recently been victimized by their
walters, who, they claim, have been in
dulging in a number of petty thefts,
the wholesale quantity of which
reduces profits, or as MIR.
Cunningham laughingly said,
'takes the gilt off the gingerbread" On
Saturday the climax came. The rule OF
the hotel Is that each waiter, before he
commences his duties in the morning, is
given SIS or thereabout with which he
must purchase from the siren who rules
over the kitchen eyiands ordered by
the guests. Nothing IS allowed to be taken
from the culinary department until the
waiter has paid tor it,. He is subsequent
ly reimbursed from the customers money.
This is the only systems which Messrs.
McGrath and Cunningham have found
to be effective with staff OF 126 walters.
On Saturday eveRing business was very
brisk. There were something like thou
Brighton, all clamoring for nourishment.
Among the busiest of the walters was
Frenchman called Gregoire Mericourt.
Mr.. McGrath cast his eagle eye upon this
waiter and determined to bide his time.
He did not have to hide long. Mericourt
hurried from the Kitchen, tray in hand.
Mr.. MoGrath noticed that the table napkin
he carried under his arm in the prescribed
fashion was unduly swollen. No amount
- tow k.n a
size of the linen. Mr.. McGrath gave
Mericourt a jocose Dig IN the ribs. The
man dropped his table napkin, and out
tumbled O sucoulent chicken, daintily
Drowned. Mr.. McGrath claims that the
man had taken 1t from the kitchen without
paying for it, and would have pOcketed
the customers settlement for the bird.
Mericourt picked up the chicken and
threw it into basket without any ex-
PLANTATION. He was at once arrested and
taken to the gloomy little police station on
Coney Island.
son Monday" said Mr.. Cunningham,
smiling, 81 was called upon to appear in
court against Mericourt. TO court |
went. The waiter had secured the SER
vices Of a little LAWYER about 81 years old.
called Charles J. Kurth. No sooner had
| entered the court than the little gentle
man soIemnly declared that his client
claimed trial by jury. Shades of my
poor lost chickenW said Mr.. Cunningham
laughing. ''Just think Of It'll Out went
the clerk to find a jury. He ran down to
the beach, and in a short time returned
with six men whom he bad found wan
deripg on the sands. They were sworn
in as jury. They were most amusing.
Every other minute one of them would
walk to the window and eject stream of
tobacco juice. Then he would go back to
his seat and compose himself. Justice
Waring presided. He was perched on
little platform and acted as his own ste
nographer. He was ineffably dignified.
So was l. In his address Mr.. Kurth
made come very long pauses. Between
two of them ventured TO strike in.
"'What do you mean" said Mr.. Kurth.
angrily. 4 haven't Finished
"'l thought you might have done,' ]
ventured to remark mildly.
"'No. SIR was the angry rejoinder.
Don't you he go eager. L don't run a
hotel.' That was meant for repartee."
said Mr.. Cunningham, laughing. 'My
address was simply one of the finest
efforts of my life. 1t was burst OF i'm
paesiOued rhetoric. ] told the Jury of the
duties they owed TO humanity. Idrew a
touching picture OF how | was being un-
dermined by theft. In fact. I was ire
sistible. 1t was no use. Mericourt tes-
titled that he was forced to eat what the
guests left on their plates, and that he
had consequently bought a chicken, for
which we should have charged 81 80, for
25c. He declared he was hungry. After
the court had adjourned for ten minutes,
so that juror could speak to his brother,
the jury retired. They were absent ten
minutes. They found that Mericourt was
not guilty. Well, L lost my case. JUS
tice Waring told me that the chicken
would cost the county $50 for fees and go
forth. Rather an expensive chicken,
wasn't itw
Mericourt, It Ia now said, will cue
Messrs. McGrath & Cunningham for $10,-
900 for false imprisonment
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