Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1897-01-19
HENS HABITuAL DRUNkARDS.
Suit Against q Distilllng, Company fol
CorruptIng Poultry.

HENS ttAbiI OAL DHONkAhOS.
Suit Against q Distiillng, Company for
.,>rs.... ,Corrppting, Poultry. l,.
From Scotland comes an account of
remarkable lawsuit based on the do
ings of number of hens, whose repre-
hensible conduct will be a revelation to
their American relatives. Recently at
Oban, before Sheriff Mactavish. John
Turner, of Laggan, claimed $225 dam
ages against local distillery company
for injury done to his poultry by the
company in allowing Intoxicating mate.
rial to flow into the Laggan burn.
This material, it was alleged. caused
drunkenness among the pursuer's poul-
try and consequently rendered them of
little or no value to him. Pursucrs
elected that for some years past he
had been making a considerable income
from keeping poultry, but that since
the starting of the distillery he had
made little 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 dstillcry was not
working. On Sundays their condition
was pitiable in the extreme. Mondays
were their worst days, for then the
hens drank excessively, fell into the
burn frequently, and lately he had
TO keep a boy to look utter them on
Monday mornings. They took no food
unless they first had Il walk to Laggan
burn. Their conduct was generally
hop 4 l.,, Il lie
no better than the hens. 1t took the
poultry some time to discover the burn.
He thought it was hen that made the
discovery first and that she had led the
lest astray.
The account of the unique trial as it
appeared in an English newspaper is as
follows:
Cross-examned by Mr.. William
Smith, solicitor: Have you ever OBJ
served gapes' in hens?" Yes" do
you not consider that your hens are
suffering from 'gapes"" Yes; whis-
Ky 'gapes.'" Luughtcr.) Did you
know anything about this Fort Will
liam hen before you bought herr"
Nothing"
John Scott at this stage wished to
read to the bench an article by Andrew
Lang referring to Il somewhat similar
case. Mr.. Smith objected, as the party
was not called. Mr.. Scott stated he
had summoned Mr.. Lang, but he had not
put in an appearance. He left himself
in his lordship's hands. The sheriff
sustained the objection.
Superintendent Moss was then asked
by Mr.. Scott to place on the bench
large cage of wickerworll containing
the Fort William hen referred to. He
asked to be allowed to recall the pur-
suer.
Mr. Scott--This is the Fort William
hen? at is" SIS it sober?' 'No."
Anyone could notice that this was
correct, for it 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 was termed
was always noticed, he further stated,
when it was far gone" At this stage
the hen seemed to address some forci-
bic remarks TO his lordship, who or
dered it to be taken away.
Examination continued.-"Was this
hen at the distillery burn this morn
ing?" Anyone could see that" Uaugh-
ter.) "How are the other hens to-day?"
Worse than this one" "Was this the
only one YOU could take to court?"
Yes" "Why?" THE rest were too
drunk" 80 that on the whole the
Fort William hen is not the worst?"
That is So" How do you account
for that?" She can stand it better"
Cross-eXamined.-"W do the hens
do when they return from the, burn?"
sleep" Anything else?" after u
sleep they generally fight" "Have you
no sober hens at all?" Yes, but the
drunk ones break their eggs"
For the pursuer it was contended that
lie had made out he was entitled to dam
ages. In an able speech for the de-
fense it was submitted that the conten-
ton had not been proved. The condi-
tion of the pursuer's hen might be due
to influenza.
His lordship stated that, the case be.
ing peculiar one, he would delay Civ
ing decision that day.
The court was crowded, and the Fort
William hen was the object of much
interest outside. a thoughtful indi-
vidual presented to it fully half a glass
of whisky, which it took greedily. This
revived it considerably, and it cackled
at great rate, to the delight of the by
standers.-Chicago Tribune.