The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-26
MADE HIS HENS DRUNK.
The Curious Suit of a ScWchman
Against a DistiIIing Company.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
From Scotland comes an account of a
remarkable lawsuit based on the doings
of number of hens, whose reprehensi-
BILE conduct will be a revelation to their
American relatives. Recently at Uban,
before Sheriff. Mactavish, John Turner of
Laggan claimed $225 damages against a
local distiller3 company for injury done
to his poultry by the company in allowing
intoxicating material to flow into the
Laggan burn. This material, it was al
legged, caused drunkenness among the pur-
suer's poultry, and consequently rendered
them of little or no value to him. Pur-
suer elected that for some years past he
had been making considerable income
from keeping poultry, but that since the
starting of the distilery he had made lit
tie or nothing. His hens and ducks would
not eat They were, he might say, almost
always more or less under the influence of
drink except Sundays, when the distilery
was not working. On Sundays their con-
dition was pitiable in the extreme. Mon
days were their worst days, for then the
hens drank excessively, fell into the burn
frequently, and lately he had to keep
boy to look after them on Monday morn
ings. They took no food unless they first
had walk to Laggan burn. Their con-
duct was generally very reprehensible,
and the ducks were no better than the
hens. 1t took the poultry some time to
discover the burn. He thought 1t was
hen that made the discovery first and that
she had led the rest aStray.
The account of the unique trial as It an
peared in an English newspaper is as fol-
lows:
Cross-examined by Mr.. William Smith,
solclt9P 7 7ay w XGg ever observed
slider that your hens are suffering from
gapes'?' Eyes; whisky 'gapes'." laugh
terD Did you know anything about this
Fort William hen before you bought her?"
Nothing"
John Scott at this stage wished to read
to the bench an article by Andrew Lang
referring to a somewhat similar case Mr.
Smith objected as the party was not CALL
ed. Mr.. Scott stated he had summoned
Mr.. Lang, but he had not put in an APP
pearance He left himself in his lordship's
hands. The sheriff sustained the objec-
ton.
supt. Moses was then asked by Mr..
Scott to place on the bench large cage
Of wickerwork containing the Fort Will
Jam hen referred to. He asked to be al
lowed to recall the pursuer.
Mr.. Scott-This is the Fort William
hen? 1t is. Is 1t sober? No.
Anyone could notice that this was cor
rect, for II sat on the bottom of the cage
and put its long neck through the bars,
looked sideways at the ceiling, grooming
to itself in what as termed a "maudlin
style' by the pursuer. This was always
noticed he further stated, when it was
'5ar gone; - AT this stage the hen SEEM
ed to address some forcible remarks to.
his lordship, who ordered it to be taken
away.
examination COnLlnued-WdS this hen
at the dIs...iery burn this morning? Any
one could see that. Uaughter) How are
the other hens to-day? Worse than this
one. Was this the only one you could take
to court2 Yes. Why? The rest were too
drunk. So that on the whole the Fort
William hen is not the worst? That is so.
How do you account for that? She can
stand 1t better.
Cross-examined-Wh do the hens do
when they return from the burn? gIeep
Anything else2 After sleep they gener-
ally fight. Have you no sober hens AZ
an? Yes, but the drunk ones break their
eggs. 4
For the pursuer it was contended that
he had Iaade out that he was entitled to
damages. In an able speech for the de-
Tense IL was submitted that the conten-
ton had not been proved. The condition
OF the pursuer's hens might be due to in
huenza.
His iordship stated that, the case being
a peculiar one, he would delay giving a
decision that day
The court was crowded. and IRE Fort
William hen was the object of much in
terest outside. A thoughtful Individual
presented TO IL fully half glass Of whis-
Ky which IL took greedily. This revived
ir considerably, and Il cackled at great
rate, TO the delight Of the bystanders.
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