Evening journal., 1897-08-16
ATE STOLEN CHICKEN.
Hannah Laws, Colored, Held
for the Upper Court.
WANTED TO TREAT HER FRIENDS
SO SHE TOOK MARY EMMA EPPS'
CHICKEN IN THE NIGHT, THREW
AWAY ITS HEART, AND MARY
FOUND IT AND PLACED TT BE-
FORE SQUIRE DALEY.

FOUND IT AND PLACED TT BE-
FORE SQUIRE DALEY.
A chickens heart, feathers and leg |
and two colored women were mixed up |
in an interesting case tried before |
| Squire Daley SATURDAY night. Complain |
ant was Mary Emma Epps, of No. 16 |
Mechanic street, and Hannah Laws,
No. IS Mechanic street, was the defend !
ant.
Until Friday Mary Emma Epps
was the proud owner of a flock Of
three chickens. That flock now num-
bers two, but she knows where the
other "chick" went TO. At least she told
the squire that she did, and he made
Hannah Laws admit that she was
right.
1t is an interesting story that centres
around the disappearance of the
chicken. Here it is: On Friday morn
ing Mary Emma Epps missed one OF
her acck. She hunted high and low for
it and was about to give it up when
suddenly a thought struck her to look
into her neighbOr's yard. The thought
was a lucky one. for behold, when she
looked she saw the discarded portion of
q chicken lying near the fence. She
raked the discorded portions over
until she discovered a heart. 1t was
tie chickens heart She had never
seen the heart of the missing chicken
but she felt pretty sure that the one she
picked up was the one it had before It
was killed. She got hot. She searched
further and found two feathers which
she recognized as the feathers of her
chicken. Further investigation reveal
ed the bare bone of the left leg Of the
chicken, the appearance of which de-
noted that it had been in the jaws of
some person
Mary Emma Epps put two and two
together and going to Hannah Laws
: asked her: What for did you stole my
:. chicken?" Hannah denied the theft. but
: Mary Emma Epps was sure it was her
! chicken and without much delay had a
= warrant issued for Hannah's arrest
The case came up before Squire
y Daley at o'clock Saturday night The
= court room was crowded to overflow
. ing end the paramount topic of discus
sion was chicken. The public manifest
ed an unusual interest in the case as Z
large crowd gathered on the Sidewalk
in the vicinity of the magistrates Of
fee to hear its result.
j. Mary Emma Epps testified first. Sh'
s told how mysteriously the chicken dis
II appeared and the events that led up t
her discovery of the heart, the cheweI
-. leg bone and the feathers.
When she finished her narrative sh'
p" remarked to the judge: Use misses da
chicken moah, because Use expected t.
n take il down to Atlantic City in a few
O. days"
D. The squire asked her whether sh
had expected to take it there for an out
ing. She laughed and did not answer
&c Hannah Laws, the defendant, was pu
upon the stand. Squire DAILY exhibite
to her the heart of the chicken, the
er the feathers and then the leg, and aske
on her if she did not take them from
r chicken yesterday. She hesitated bu
I'd answered that she did. The squire the
asked her where she got the chicke
she killed yesterday. She hesitate
again. The magistrate took adyantag
of her hesitation and asked her If tn
chicken she killed yesterday was not
o. chicken belonging to her neighbo
lit Mary Emma Epps. She answered
S. Yes. sir" "How did you get ths
H. chicken" the magistrate asked he
G. She looked at him a second or two an
N, then told her tale. She said that sh
ne had invited some friends to her hous
II. Yesterday and desiring to give thel
aa- something good to eat. She sneake
MA into her neighbors yard the night b'
fore and stole one of her chickens.
When she finished her story the co
'ly ored people in the court room locke
en with expectant faces at the squire, wi
was adjusting his glasses preparation
eft to summing up the case. Finishir
re- this task. the squire then said: Il mu
hold you, Hannah Laws, in the sum
=, 5000 for your appearance in the upp'
court. This was the signal for Il
crowd to disperse, which it did quickl
nd but very noisly Outside the negro
ed congregated and discussed the 'squir
All agreed that they had better n
,as stal any chickens while he lives
Hannah was unable to furnish Il
bail and she was sent to the City Ha