The evening times., 1896-06-29
BIRDS WERE MUTI[A7ED
Colonel Mobiles Homing Pi-
geons Badly Treated.
SOME ARE YET MISSING
Among Those Which Have Not Been
Heard from Is the Well known
Bird, Wallace, That Madethe Flight
Two Years Ago from Northern
Louisiana-Records of the Flyers.

The pigeon thief who carried off the
birds of Col Joseph Noble of No. 2016 Fif-'
teenth street northwest, as told in The
Times wednesday, found himself in much
trouble with his booty and without any
prospect OF profit. The pigeons were all of
the homing variety, aud as usual with such
birds, were all marked.
The owner or homing pigeon, soon
after il is hatched, slips an aluminium
band over tile foot. and as the bird grows
this becomes firmly fixed on the leg. II
can only be removed by cutting off the
foot This band contains the birds mum
ber and the initials OF the club to which
its owner belongs. Also there is usually
a mark of some kind attached to the wing,
giving the owners name.
Accordingly when the thief reached a
safe resting place with the pigeons he
found himself at loss what TO do with
them. He could not sell them with the
marks on them. and there was no way that
he saw to get them off. This fact is shown
by the sequel.
On Friday morning Mrs. Noble heard
call at the window. 1t proved to be col
ored man who had heard about the loss OF
the pigeons from The Times publication.
He asked If there was reward for the re-
turn of the pigeons Col. Noble, hearing
the question, told his wife to detain the
man in conversation a few moments till he
could call policeman. He was fortunate
enough to find two officers at once, and
they came with him. The negro, who
proved to be watchman for Cranfoul,
said that culored woman had given him
basket with the pigeons, which he had
left at the stable as he approached the
house She said she found it on the COM
mons. He thought they must be Col. No
| ble's.
THE BIRDS WERE MUTILATED.
When Col Noble went out to examine
| the birds he was Mortified to find that they
| had been mutilated. One had had both
wings cut off, one had one wing off and
| another had 4 foot off. All had been cut or
| hacked in some way. As the birds had been
pets and all known by name, he and his
| wife were much interested, while the chill
| dren were in tears.
The watchman did not seem tUknow any
thing about the binds having been mistreated.
| and Col. Noble could not believe that be
| had anything to do with it. 1t seemed un-
reasonable to suppose that he would have
brought them back in such Il condition to
| ask reward for their recovery if he had
| known it,
| In all thirty pigeons were stolen. of
an estimated value of 5000. OF these only
five were returned. Among the five were
one OF two valuable ones that had made
| flights of 400 to zoo miles, but in their
| mutilated coDdition they were valucless.
| or those not yet heam from is the famous
1
| Northern Louisiana two years ago.
| AT that time Col. Noble and Mr.. Young,
| of the market near his home, sent six
pigeons Ia Mississippi To be released. They
were let go as appointed. After few da VS.
Col. Noble received a letter from a town
in northern Mississippi enclosing wing
and Il foot. The wing had his name on it,
! and the date OF the release. The foot bore
the number of one Of his birds. The letter
explained that the bird had been shot by
mistake, for which the writer was very
sorry. The only Thing left TO do was to
notify The owner.
| FOUND IN LOUISIANA.
A few days later Mr.. Young received Il
letter from a place i'll Louisiana, telling him
that one of his birds and one of Col. Noble S
had flown into u barn. They had been
caught and the marks found. The writer
asked for instructions. He was directed
TO release the pigeons again, making a
| note OF the place nd date. This was done.
Eleven days later Col. Noble went out to
his loft about $50 O'Clock one morning
and found d bird flutteriDg around the place.
He wondered what it could be-whether one
| of his, or u neiglibur's that had got out.
After watching it q few moments lie was
overIoyed TO recognize that it was hs bird
wallace
He took it in, and upon examination oi
the record found that it had been almost
exactly eleven days since the BIRDS Re
lease in Louisiana. None OF the other five
birds ever returned. Col. Noble thinks the
pigeons coming from the Gulf get be
tween the mountains and become bewil
dered, SO they lose their way.
II any of the twenty-five pigeons still
missing are released, Col. Noble is hope
full they will return. He tells of a birt
that was brought here from Heller's loft
at Pittsburg, when only about six months
old. Nearly three years later it Wa.
lost or stolen, and when found was il
possession of DR.. Pindell, at Leesburg
Dir. Pindeil had bought it OF Heller, t,
whose place, its original home, it LA,
returned.