The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-03
PUZZLERS IN COURT.
POINTS THAT HAVE KEPT THE LAW
YeRS GUESSING.

Curious Questions Raised In Courts Of Law.
All Countries Contribute a Share OF
What Would Make an Interesting Vol
u1ne-severaI 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-
tions in which they are placed.
One of the most curious points Of law
on record arose recently IN a court at
Jersey, in America. The question was
whether eggs, after reaching a certain
stage of incubation, were 20 be regarded
rs eggs or chickens. After quarrellng
about the matter for some time, counsel
offered to break one of the eggs 10 sat
isfy the law that it contained a chicken,
IN which case, of course, the eggs would
have been considerably e2hanced IN
value. but there was a general demur
70 this suggestion, and the justice re-
served his decision till he had consulted
his colleagues. The result had not come
70 hand az 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 a
Narbonne restaurant let a bank note
fall into his soup. He laid 1t down ON
rhe table TO dry and gust OF wind
blew il away. a passing dog swallowed
the uote. aud the gentleman detained
the animal, whose collar happened TO
hear its 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, ba, az length the court ordered
the owncr q the dog to pay the money
Another French case wasSIat against
a Paris hairGrosser, who was sued by
lady for $50, being the price OF her
damaged locks. The fair claimant had
used the hairdreSser's wash, which was
said TO restore fallen locks, but the result
iii this case was 10 burn the hair OF coni'
pletely. The point was the liability OF
the hairdresser, and the coart awarded
Ghe lady IS.
Applications for injunctions often
raise curious points. Not long ago an
injunction was granted to restrain an
officer in 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 in a lunatic asylum.
There Vas fight not -ong ago In one
of the London courts between a barrel
organ and piano, an injunction being
claimed TO restrain a gentleman from
keeping an organ. Ii seemed that the
offender was annoyed by his next door
neighbor' piano, and to ayenge 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 10 remain
silent, on the ground that the owner evi-
IDENTIFY intended to create nuisance.
The market value of cough was the
question submitted TO the Birmingham
county court. A barrister sued a rail-
way company for ESQ for discomfort
suffered by smoking being allowed in a
waiting room at a station and in non
smoking carriages. The smoking aggra-
waited the barrister's cough, and he was
awarded so.
A queer point arose in the revision
cUurt at Nottingham. While the court
was sitting q young collier named ALI
cock killed his wife IN the most deiib
crate manner and afterward confessed
mis- crime. An application was made
shat Allcock's name should be struck
off the register. why" queried the
barrister. receiving the answer, BE
cause he is a murderer. 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 a valuable ring in
a 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 a servant. At first
sight this decision appears 60 be incon-
sistent with that arrived at some years
ago in case in which a chimney sweep
sued "A jeweler for precious ST ne. The
sweep had found brooch on his rounds,
which he took TO the jeweler. who ex-
fracted 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
she sweep, as he had found il. the infer
snce being that he could, therefore,
Fteal IL with impunity. The court, how
ever, held otherwise, and the sweep re-
covered his jewel
Eastern superstitition gave rise to a
FingRlar argument ia a Chinese court
not long ago. A Chinamsn had been
sent to prison, and, according 10 Gus
tom, the authorities proceeded tocut of
Sis pigtail, whereuTCn 1he prisoner ap-
piled for an injunction on the ground
that without his pigtail he could not en-
ger the kingdom of hcaven. After much
segal quarreliDg the court decided that
1here is no religion in prison, and that
she prisoner must snare the fate of his
comrades. whatever the result in the
world 10 come. London Tit-Bits.