The Helena independent., 1893-03-24
MORE GEESE THAN NINE.
Though That Is the Number In,
volved In Tennessee Law
Suit. s
The Question Of Female Suffrage
Has Entered Into the
Dispute.
Two Ranches and Two Flocks, Feather,
and All. Likely to Be Eaten Up
In Costs.
From tho Globe Democrat.

From tho Globa- Democrat.
MEMPHIS, Tonn., March 9.-The csle-
brated Fort Pickering goose case has
renched an acute stage. and now threatens
to rival the bull calf case that has so long
bothered tho courts of Iowa and depleted
She pockets Of the litigants Ia interest.
Fort Pickering. be it known. ID q south
ern suburb Of Memphis, situated on the
Mississippi river front and crowned by an
immense Indian mound, from the summit
Of which Ferdinand De Soto first beheld the
muddy giant Of American waters. The To-
cality is interlaosd with wide bitches. mark
ing the fortified lines constructed by the
federal troops during the war. These
ditohes. being full of water the year round.
are much affected by aquatic fowl. and
the duck and goose industry is source of
much diversion and profit to the human in
habitants.
Among the most extensive and flourishine
of the goose ranches are those of Miss
Mary Kennedy and Mrs. Landgraff. There
is a keen rivalry between the two ladies in
general and especially in the matter OF get
ting out the first goslings in the spring. and
al the feeding grounds, or waters, are in
common ID not infIequently happens that
the two fooks get mixed, and considerable
friction between the owners accompanies
the "cuttinR-out' and "roundinR-up'' pro.
cess. Hereby hangs the lawsuit.
One day Last week Gus Stelzer the brother
and head ranchero of Mrs. Landgraf. drove
an unusually numerous flock into the home
Enclosure. That same evening when Miss
Kennedy oame to count her web-fee she
found herself nine pair short. On making in
quiry she arrived at the conclusion that the
sudden increase Of her neighbor's flock was
too remarkable a coincidence to be over
looked, 80 she demanded census This
was had, but without bringing the expected
result. Mrs. Landgraff claimed all the
geese in her inolosure as her own, and in
the end the ladies passed the time of day
in the Fort Pickering vernacular and sspa-
rated in decided state of mind.
Next day Miss Kennedy went before JUS
tice M. 7. Gsrvin and swore out war rant
against Stelzer, charging him with stealth
the nine geese. three ganders and six of tho
sgg-producing sex. When the case came to
be heard the court room was packed with
the partisans of prosecutor and defendants,
and they grew 30 warm as the trial pro.
crossed that il was all the four bailiffs of
the court could do to keep the peace. A
dozen or more witnesses testified on each
side, and the evidence was at right angles.
the prosecution in question showing that
the geese belonged to Miss Kennedy, and
the defense proving with equal clearness
that they we're the lawful property of Mrs.
Landgraff.
Squire Gavin was puzzled, but he 10 not
man to ''lay down" at the first back raise.
In youth he had studied for the church and
thus acquired Roodly store OF classical
information. He remembered the story of
the sacred goose that saved the citadel of
Rome from the barbarinns of Brennus.
From this he had imbibed a profound re-
spect for the intelligence of The goose fam
lily. and in the present emergency it oc-
Cured to take the testimony of the dis
puted nine. Accordingly he adjourned
court to the next morning at eight O'clock.
instructnR tho contestinR owners to keep
their Aocks confined until further orders.
At the appointed time the squire and his
bailiffs appeared at the LandgraH ranche.
where they were soon joined by the whole
BY order of the court the oanders were
blindfolded and with the six geese taken to
point situated about midway between the
Kennedy and LandRraf headquarters. Miss
Kennedy and Mrs. Landgratf were stationed
each at the gate Of her corral. and instruct
ed to signal the geese with the peculiar calls
which they were accustomed to employ in
rounding up their focks. The blindfolds
were removed from the gandars and the
ladies did their part nobly. At first the
feathered witnesses were too much confused
and alarmed by the blindfolding aud the
noise of the crowd to do anything but run
kissing to and fro, but at length they
seemed to realize what was expected OF
them. The two older Randers. followed by
two of the geese, made bee-line for the
Kennedy inclosure and waddled solemnly
inside. The younger gander, with the four
remaining geese in his train. marched a.
straight to the Landgraff premises.
Squire Garvin decided that the Randers
were the natural leaders of tho flock. and
majority of them having responded to
nedy claim had the preponderance of owl
dence in ITS favor. He thereupon bound
Stelzer over to the criminal court to an
swer to the charge Of larceny. Miss Ken
nedy wanted him to give her possession of
the five witnesses that had been beeuiled
squire declined to do. He said he had ad
ministered all the goose law he cared to
tackle this season. The lady therefore
applied to Justice J. P. Young for a
writ of replevin, and trial was had on the
issue.
Squire Young is at once an ardent demo-
crnt and convert to woman suffrage. He
believes in absolute equality of the sexes.
and considers Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
q e. stateslady worthy to be classed with
CAeVeihnu' ChruSle, or any other shin
ing light of the greatest party on
Garth. He reviewed at length the tes-
timony of the web-footed wit
nessss in the former case. and reversed
Squire Garvin's ruling. The majority OF
them. he said, had owned fealty to Mrs.
Lnndgratf and no distinction on account of
sex could be allowed. The rule of a ma
joritv was n fundamental principle of
democracy, and it was good enough law for
humans let alone geese. He. therefore,
gave judgment for the defendant.
Miss Kennedy will take her cnse to the
circuit court and both patties express
determination to carry the litigation still
further il necessary. In the meantime
Miss Kennedy's brother Pat has been ar
sested for ttespass on tho Lnnderaff prem
ises. where he went presumably for the pur-
pose of persusdino his sstor's five chattels
to return to their allegiance. The costs
and lawyers fees in tho several suits al
ready amount to ten times the value of the
property involved aud tho prospect ia that
they will eat up both ranches. feathers ind
oil, ere the controversy is ended.
Good Looks.
Good looks are moro than skin deep, de-
han Ahy 90 eli h,