Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-05-17
ANIMAL TRIALS BY JURY.
BY ALEX. Il. JAPP.

There can be no doubt that in ami
mails the sense of justice is more or les 8
developed, and that in some instances
it reaches a very high level. Not only
do they individually exercise the re-
yenge for injuries which Lord Bacon
defined as kind of wild justice; but,
In certain circumstances, they will COM
bine for protection, and actually pro.
ceed precisely as men do in parlia-
ments and IN law courts against enc
mics to the common good. This is
especially noticeable among certain
orders of birds, but it is not unknown
among mammals either; the most care
ful observers and the closest thinkers,
however sceptical of many stories.
having to admit that, in not few OF
the most remarkable cases reported,
there could be no room to doubt that
animals had instituted law courts, con-
Quoted what were really trials by
jury, and appointed certain of their
number to sec the sentence carried
out-that is, to act as executioners of
the will of the majority, or of the
whole met in solemn council. A few
OF the most stiik1pg and thoroughly
verified instances may be given, and,
readers.
Among the beavers it is undoubted
that courts were held, and judicial
functions exercised, and the S, ntences
carried out with most exact discipline.
This is proved by the fact that near to
every beaver settlement there exists a
class of what are called bachelor bea-
vers." This Is composed OF two sec
al
mates and were held TO be no longer of
true use to the community, and
younger "bachelors" who had been
expelled the settlement for miscon-
duct, idleness, and laziness, more gen.
orally theft, and by a jury awarded a
sentence of perpetual exclusion, a sort
of penal servitude, which all the COM
munlty of beavers were bound to Join
IN order to see thoroughly carried out.
These bachelors" live alone, not IN
warm houses protected by dams, as in
community, but in holes in the banks
OF the rivers-prison cells, in fact
where they just manage to live, and
where they can at a pinch succeed IN
storing sufficient winter food. Some
times their privations must be great,
but there is no escape for them. Ii
they endesvor 10 build proper beaver
honse-at all events, within ken of any
OF their old associstes-it is reported,
and 1t becomes the bounden duty of
members of the community to
lurn out and destroy what has been
done. Penal servitude among beavers
really exists, as it does among Us.
The beaver-thief is compelled to work
hard, In isolation from his family, and
yet cannot secure the most primary
personal comforts cannot exercise
him self in that craft of construction in
which he alone can find true pleasure.
He must atone to society for his fault.
just as our convicted prisoners 40.
Anyone who has seen the beavers at
the Geological Gardens ceaselessly COM
forting themselves and passing their
time in constructing houses that they
do not need, will realize what punish
me 1t jury OF beavers mete out to one
of their own kind wi o is idle or lazy,
or has been guilty of theft, or violated
any of the essential laws of the beaver
community, when they make him a
bachelor" beaver and will not let him
erect house near to them.
Dogs will often sit as jurymen in
cases of any wrong from which they
have all alike suffered 1 know one
case in which this happened. A big,
rough dog, a cross between a collie
and a hound-a sort of lurcher, in fact,
which used daily to accompany a milk
cart into the town 1 come from, had
for q long time borne the character of
a suriy tyrant, dealing blows. in the
shape of bites, to the little dogs in the
town, till more than one of them bo G
his memorial marks on head or body.
He was a big bully of the worst sort,
ill.used dogs smaller than himself, and
took care not to meddle with a bigger
one. With a friend j was walking in
the twilight one evening, along lane
a little distance from the town, AMI not
lar from the farm where that fig,
rough lurcher STAYED. What was our
surprise to he overtsken by a bevy of
dogs, big and little, some dozen or
fifteen of them rushing past us from
the town with such speed that they
made quite a wind as they went. Next
day, We heard that Nelson's "Victor"
had been found in a dreadful condI-
ton at his masters door, bleeding AMI
torn, and with Just life left in him and
no more. a very noticeable change
was to be detected In him when he got
better after that, and came into town
as before. He did not meddle with the
little dogs any more; but kept close
beneath the masters cart, instead of
roaming about and dealing punish
ment to smaller specimens. 1t was
matter of common remark, indeed,
that Nelson's Victor was a changed
dog. Are we not justified in assum-
ing that the dogs had sat as jury on
it-perhaps engaged one or two bigger
dogs in their cause-and themselves
proceeded, as we saw them, to be the
cxecutiouers of the law? The dogs acted
reciseiy as boys at school do, when at
length they find out 1.-THE bully" and.
led by lad of energy, determine to
teach him better manners and put him
iown.
Among birds the exercise of judicial
functions is still more common. VINO
has not heard accounts of trials by jury
among crows? At the building time
more especially, young crows will be
found rather apt TO try to save them
Sc ives the trouble of foraging for the
necessary sticks and lining mat riais.
and will go and pull a bit or two out
from the nest of another pair moro ad-
vauced in their work, and during their
absence. Round ont in their pilfer-
ing, the offending PAIR are taught that,
whatever the crows may do outside
their settlement, no thieving Is allowed
among themselves Grow courts, or
.rials by jury, have often been OBJ