Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-06
ACCORDING TO LAW.
An Amusing Tale Coming All the
 Way from Connecticut.
Danbury Han Shoots Thirty of Eii Own Chickens for His Neighbor's-An Act Sanctioned by the Statutes
 of tho Nutmeg State.

That peculiar hen law passed by tho | | last Legislature at Hartford has had 8 | disastrous effect on q well-llnown Dan l bury farmers hennery, says a letter 1 | from tho latter place to the New York | Sun, and has caused the dissolution of | ties of friendship which have existed l ever since the two farmers were boys and fought to escort tho same girl home from singing-school. Darius and Stephen | are the front names of the two former | friends. | Stephen is a man who devoteS his time to raising garden truck. After the 1 hen bill became law last June he had a field of fine sweet corn, which was | coming along nicely. Hens would get l into it, however, and one afternoon he l found large patch of the corn ruined. Returning to his house he took down his shotgun, loaded it, and, calling on Darius, he began, batting his gun sig | ni6cantly:
 ''Dari, eff I see any moro O your chickens in my corn I'll dispose of 'em to wunst an the law'1 uphold me in it, too. gin you fair warnin', Dari, that I'm goin fer 'cm every time I see 'em."
 But, Stephen" began Darius, in
 
 by his neighbor, who said:
 ''Now, I don't want any words. Ef you don't keep your chickens outen my corn I'll shoot 'en on tho spot, and tho law'n uphold me in it.
 The next morning the report of the gun was heard in Stephens corn-feld and in few minutes that party ap- | preached Darius house and threw over the fence as sleek and plump a rooster as ever scratched up corn-hills for a | numerous harem. Mrs Darius went out and picked up the fowl and at noon the family enjoyed a chicken-potpie dinner. For D week every morning Stephens | gun was heard, and one two and sometimes three hens or rooSterS would be thrown over into Darius yard. His wife picked them up, dressed them, and, k like all country housewives, dried the feathers under the stove and slowed t them away for future use in cushions for Darius armchair or pillows for the : lounge. What Darius family, which Y | was good-Sized one, could not eat of the fowls were sold to the marketmen . when they came around, and the good wife already had nice little sum of money Ibid by in a broken blue saucer I on the pastry shelf, which she expected to devote to purchases when she went into town again.
 Finally Stephens wife remarked to l. him one evening that her chickens were 10 disappearing remarkably fast, and she couldn't understand what caused it.
 q recl1in that blamed fox is around ag'in." said he, ''and I'll lay for him 0. with my gun. I'm gettin' tc be quite a , shot," and he chuclled as he remem- v bered how he had filled Darius hens ., with bird shot. The next morning he 1t started bright and early for the corn field with his trusty gun. There was t. the flock scratching away as usual. Stephen singled out a fine rooster and ID laid him out cold. Picking him up he proceeded as usual to take him to Darius yard and fling him over tho fence. Mrs Darius was in the yard as the rooster struck the ground.
 "Thanl1 you, stephen" she said, as she picked it up and started for the house.
 , ''Mrs. Darius, how many chickens O yourn hey killed in the last ten days?'
 asked Stephen.
 ''Chickens of ours? Why, Stephen ' we never kept & chicken in our lives, said the woman, while & suppressed
 Sln1lo cfSpU Into DHr eyes, lIlOuS5l li0 o face was sober enough.
 1 ''Gret Christopher! liant them you . hens I've been shooting all this time?' They were not, Stephen, though WI
 have felt grateful to you for your OK s ceeding kindness in giving them to us
 We haven't been obliged to buy an,
 meat in two weeks, though 1 must con
 fess we arc getting kind O tired o
 chicken, having had thirty of them"
 Stephen sat down on a stone and re
 fiected. He remembered his wifes re
 mark about the disappearance of he ne chickens, and, rising, hc took his gu
 and brought it down with a vim acros
 the top rail of the fence, breaking th - stock off and bending the barrel. The, = he threw the remains away and wen
 home. He met his wife in tho yard an a told her the story.
 O ''I've made a aconSarned old fool O my self. 1 thought I was mighty smart t
 kill them hens, for them fellers over M Hartford passed law sayin' I coul6
 Gosh dang it, there's thirty hens as fin
 as ever wuz raised in Fairfield County
 and I've killed lem and gin 'em to Dal
 when he hadn't no, moro right to 'el
 than he has to Gabriel's horn. I'll z
 to town and sec a lawyer, and if tn
 State of Connecticut don't pay mo fc
 them hens then I'll take the law on tn
 dod- blasted fool what writ it."
 The Emperor's Erother-inLaw.
 Tho hereditary Prince of MeiningeI
 brother-in-law of tho German Empero
 accompanied the latter to Athens to a