The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-30
The Owner Said to Be Liable
for the DepredationS of
Marauding Bees.
REASONING OF NO AVAIL
So Official Notice Is Served to Abate
the Nuisance at
Once.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL, |
908 Broadway, June %.

VI
The District Attorney will be asked to
issue complaint for very unusual ale
cation tomorrow. It is the second case of
the same nature that has arisen within a
month.
Little busy bees are small things TO cause
litigation, but they have stings, and it is
on account of this attribute that e. J.
Tough of Berkeley may have to answer a
complaint of causing cruelty to children.
R. Mcmillan, the engineer of the steamer
Piedmont, lives off Stewart street. near
Shattuck avenue. He has wife and tour
children and owns beautiful home IN
til three months ago everything was peace
able and happy at the Mcmillan home.
AT that time their neighbor, E. ]. Tough,
decided that he would run an apiary. He
bought several hundred bees and installed
them in the attic of his house. No objec-
ton was raised until the singing insects,
in their hunt for honey, invaded the pretty
garden of the McMillans. So long as the
bees confined themselves to the raspberry
bushes there was no trouble, but when the
bees began crusade against the faces and
hands of the little McMillans there was
trouble.
On several occasions the children were
and their eyes were closed entirely. The
children were doctored and some heavy
bills were paid, but Mr.. Mcmillan could
think of no remedy. Recently the chill
dren have suffered so much that the doc
tor has stated that there Is danger of
erysipelss attacking the children. AS
last resort the affair was reported to Mrs.
Prescott, secretary of the Children's Soci-
ETY., and she was asked 10 protect the little
ones from their Sufferinps
Mrs. Prescott inspected the children and
found the three-year-old boy suffering in
tense pain. The secretary thought that a
call at the Tough residence would quickly
settle matters, but was disappointed.
Mrs. Tough said she could not help mat
ters and told Mrs. Prescott that this is
free country and thatshe does not propose
to be dictated to by neighbors. She further
said that she was not responsible for her
bees after they left her premises
Seeing that reasoning would not avail,
Mrs Prescott gave official notice that I'M
less the nuisance were abated within forty
eight hours she would apply for a war
rant. The section of the act that the
secretary says applies to the case is the
following:
Sec. 4. Whosoever shall willfully cause or
permit any child to suffer, or who shall infiict
thereon unjustifable physical pain or mental
suffering, and whatsoever, having the care or
custody Of any child, shall willfully cause or
permit the lite or limb OF such child to be
dangersd, or the health OF such child to be in
jured, or any person who shall willfully cause
or permit such child TO be placed in such
situation that its life or limb may be en-
dsngered, or its health shall be likely to be
injured, shall be guilty OF misdemeanor.
The question is of some importance
and the liability of bee-keepers has never
yet been determined. At San Leandro
recently complaints were made to the
Trustees that bees we're devastating berry
fields, and they are now considering the
best means to abate the nuisance.