The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-16

domestic animals. When a complaint was
made against a pig. a COW or a horse, and
the court was satisfied with the deposition.
the accused animal was committed 20
prison OF the place OF criminal justice
where the trial was TO take plaza After
hearing the witnesses and taking down the
dispositions against the delinquent, and the
crime OF homicide being proved. the judge
condemned the animal 70 be stranglea aud
hung by the two black legs to an oak tree or
gibbet, according 70 the custom Of the
country.
The animals were led by a halter. one
mental court official holding the cord:
another walked behind and goaded the
prisoner onward. of all the animals that
considered TIE most unruly. for while the
learned counsel on both sides discussed and
the judge expoundsd. the hog frequently
grunted aud screamed aud tried to poke his
nose through the bars OF the prisoners box.
Conduct of this kind was sometimes held
TO be disrespectful and told against the
defendant. But an OK, a COW or a bull, an
ass or a dog that remained quiet received
certain measure of consideration for their
demeanor. While the animals remained
in prison. before, during or after trial,
they were entitled to the same amount of
money each day for food as was provided
for human being. They were treated, in
fact, exactly as human offenders. Let me
cite few interesting examples Of domestic
animals
The execution Of these animals was public
and solemn; sometimes they were clothed
like men. In 1886 the judge of Falaise con-
demned a sow to be mutilated in the leg
and head, and after wards TO be hanged, for
having torn the face and arm and then kill
ing child. This SOW was executed IN the
public square, clothed in a mans dress. The
execution cost 10 sous, 6 deliers tournois,
besides a new glove for the exeoutioDer.
Ia 1897 q SOW was condemned 10 be- beatea
to death for having eaten the chin OF a
child belonging to the village Of Charonne
The sentence declared that the flesh of the
sow should be thrown TO the dogs, and that
the owner Of the animal and his wife should
make pilgrimage to Notre de Pontoise
where, being the day of Pentec0st, they
should cry Mercy" after which they were
to bring back a certificate that this had
been complied with.
The charter of Eleonore comp osed in 1895,
and cdrt1 di iogL of Sardinia, states that
the oxen and COWS, wild OF domestic, might
he killed legally when they were taken In
the commission Of crime. Asses guilty Of
the same conduct were treated more hui
namely they were placed in the sams cate
CORY as thieves. The first time that one Of
these animals was found in cultivated
field which did not belong to his master
one Of his ears was cut Off. A repetition of
the offense entailed the loss of the other ear.
If caught a third time in the prohibited
place, the ass was not hung like other large
animals, but was confscated to the primes
Of the country.
A pig once having DESTROYED child. the
image of st. Pancre was brought out, and
the child. it is related, was restored to life
The pig was cited to appear in the bishops
court at Lausanne. 1t was found guilty CT
wilful murder and sentenced to death
Ruchat says that "the executioner was a
pork butcher
By turning to list Of the animals cited
TO appear before the courts from ll20 to
1744 may be mentioned the following: Pigs,
horses, COWS. bulls. oxen, cantharides, rabs,
leeches. domestic fowl. moIes, house-mice,
field-mice, chafers. snails, weevils, grass
hoppers, locusts, dogs, asses caterpillars,
goats, sheep, mules, pigeons. other birds
and worms.
just one more curious incident in this
| strange history. In the year 1403 Simon de
Baudemont, lieutenant at Meulan, Jhean,
Lord of Meintenon, the bailiff of Man es
and Meulan, signed an atte5tation making
known the expenses which had been in
CURED in order to execute justice o. "a SOW
that had eaten a child: For expenses
within tie Jail the charge was soils. Item
| w tLo oASSublOuoKs VINO bAiue IFOi1lt J. arts TO
Meulan to put the sentence into execution,
by command of Lord the bailif and of the
kings attorney, 81 soils. Item, for the car
riage that conveyed her to the execution, 6
sols Item, for ropes TO tie and haul her
up, 6 soils, deniers. Item, for gloves, Il
deniers; amounting in the whole to SO soils,
deniers." The item for gloves has puzzled
some persons. Southey suggests that they
were insisted upon by the executloner as a
point of honor, that no one might reproach
him with having soiled his hands by per-
forming n such subjects.