Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-01-20
PUZZLERS IN COURT.
POINTS THAT HAVE KEPT THE LAW
 YERS GUESSING.

What Would Make an Interesting Yol-
 ume-scveral Examples.
 An interesting volume might be writ ten on the curious points of law that are constantly arising in the courts. The most expert lawyers and judges are frequently puzzled by the novel situa- ions ;n which they are placed.
 One of the most curious points of law on record arose recently ill a court at Jersey, in America. The question was whether eggs, after reaching certain stage of incubation, were to be regarded as eggs or chickens. After quarreling about the matter for some time, counsel offered to break one of the eggs to sat isfy the law that it contained chicken, in which case, of course, the eggs would have been considerably enhanced in value, but there was a general demur to this suggestion, and the justice re- served his decision till he had consulted his colleagues. The result had not come to hand at the time of writing.
 A remarkable case in France excited Q great deal of attention some time ago. A gentleman dining on the terrace of Narbonne restaurant let bank note fall into his soup. He laid it down on the table to dry and gust of wind blew it away. A passing dog swallowed the note, and the gentleman detained the animal, whose collar happened to bear it's masters name. Indignant at his loss, the owner of the note sued the dogs master for 100 francs, the value of the note. There was much legal hair splitting, but at length the court ordered the owner of the dog to pay the money.
 Another French case was that against q Paris hsirdresser, who was sued by a lady for 960, being the price of her damaged locks. The fair claimant had used the hairdresser's s wash, which was said to restore fallen locks, but the result in this case was to burn the hair off com pletely. The point was the liability of the hairdresser, and the court awarded the lady e8.
 Applications for injunctions often raise curious points. Not long ago an injunction was granted to restrain an officer ill the life guards from keeping horses in a London drawing room, the ground of objection being the noise which the animals made, which annoyed the neighbors. The offending officer is now ill q lunatio asylum.
 There was fight not long ago in one of the London courts between & barrel organ and piano, an injunction being claimed to restrain a gentleman from keeping an organ. It seemed that the offender was annoyed by his next door neighbours piano, and to avenge himself he obtained a barrel organ, which he played at all times of the day. The question of the liberty of the subject, !" of course, came up, but the court de- cided that, if an Englishman's house is his castle, it is not fit place for bar. rel organ that never stops, and the organ received strict instructions to remain silent, on the ground that the owner evil dently intended to create a nuisance.
 The market value of cough was the question submitted to the Birmingham county court 4 barrister sued . rail way company for $50 for discomfort suffered by smoking being allowed in a waiting room at a station and in non smoking carriages. The smoking aggra- vated the barrister's cough, and he was awarded e10.
 A queer point arose in the revision court at Nottingham. While the court was sitting young collier named All cock killed his wife in the most delib- crate manner and afterward confessed his crime. An application was made that Allcoek's name should be struck off the register. ''Why?" queried the barrister, receiving the answer, Be cause he is murderer. U That re- mains to be proved, said the barrister, and the name remained on the roll.
 The finding of lost property has often given rise to curious points of law. A workman who found valuable ring in London theater claimed the return of the ring from the proprietors, who had taken possession of it. The court, how ever. rejected his claim, as the ring had been picked up while the man was full filling his duties as 8 servant. At first sight this decision appears to be ineon- sistent with that arrived at some years uRO HI ~ CdS6 III Wu1Cl A Culunoy HWOop sued jeweler for precious stone. The sweep had found a brooch on his rounds. which he took to the jeweler. who ex- tracted precious stone and substituted a worthless imitation On this being discovered, the jeweler replied to the sweeps demand for the return of his stone that the stone did not belong to the sweep, as he had found it, the infer ence being that he could, therefore, steal itwith impunity, The court, how ever, held otherwise, and the sweep re- covered his jewel.
 Eastern superstitition gave rise to 6 singular argument in Chinese court not long ago. A Chinaman had been sent to prison, and, according to ous- tom, the authorities proceeded to out of his pigtail, whereupon the prisoner ap- piled for an injunction on the ground that without his pigtail heoeuld not en- ter the kingdom of heaven. After much legal quarreling the court decided that there is no religion in prison, and that the prisoner must share the fate 0f his comrades, whatever the result in the world to come. London Tit-Bits.