The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-25
KENTUCKY's RED BIRD Law.
Commotion Caused by an Attempt to Enforce
n Freak Enactment.

Commotien Caused by an Attempt to Enferce
n Freak Enactment.
From the Nashrfie Banner.
The Gagged red bird Ia just now q cause Of seri.
Gus controversy in Louisville. Ky. And It
all grows out of a Grand Jury and an alleged
overzealous young Chief of Police.
several years ago u rural member of tho
State Legislature, in his desire to enroll his
name on the scroll of fame, introduced a bill
prohibiting the keeping of red birds, martins,
or other wild song birds in cages. and providing
for a penalty of a fine for violation of the same.
The bill, by some freak of statesmanship, be-
came q law. but no efforts were made to enforce
it. 1t was a dead letter. Recently. however.
in Louisville, a Grand Jury that could find no
evidence showing the existence of pool rooms,
faro banks, slot machines, or punel houses, Stun.
bled on the red bird law, and Immediately called
the Chief Of Police. Jacob Haagcr, before it and
enforced the red bird law. The Chief had never
heard of the law. 80 the foreman Of the Grand
Jury took up the Kentucky statutes and read
Chief Haager, who is young, and who has
only recently had his honors and his gold badge
thrust upon him, left the Grand Jury room
thoroughly impressed and with his mind made
up to enforce the law to the letter. And he has
home. where he had a "Kentucky carSiosin
Gagged. a beautiful bird that had never known
plaything OF the Chiefs child Children n H k'i teok the the
opened Il. The cardinal emerged. fiuttered
around his head n few minutes, its eyes star
ing at the new world. seen for the first time.
then it timidly rested on the Chiefs shoulder.
waather.hardened Creeks. then he diSS f his du his
under the law. He pushed the bird from him
and A. LAY went atm into o tn, the house: The cardinal awk.
ste9lthily slipped upon it; There was a thump,
u nutter' ono WIG, smothered scream and the
That night when the 800 policemen of the city
law was read to them with due mpressiveness
and they We're told to do their duty. How we'll
this was performed Was attested by midnight.
Central Police Station to learn what the outrage
meant. They had been ordered to turn their pet
red birds loose and they unanimously refused
to do IL. 0
BY noon the next day nearly 400 citizens had
been ordered TO lot their red birds 90 OF submit
TO arrest and line. There were many pathetic
Incidents and numerous letters on b tn sides OF
1hs question Iaes ION, were rr sent At, to q, the he Chief Of Police.
elpless II turned loose: that they would starve
to death or would furnish a meal for predatory
rows, cut no figure. The law said they must sp1 be
turned loose, and the law must be obcyed.
station and lef. 1t, bee tpse he had not the heart
to turn 1t loose, A little crippled boy carried
his bird to the Chief OF Police in his hand. the
One Of the Captains OF police swore he would re-.
sign before no would turn his red bird loose.
a room for his bird in his home, thus letting L
fly and not combining 1t in Il cage.
Tho clanor became so great that II thrca :.
encd to disrupt the political party in control of
the town. enforcement Of the law was sus.
pended in order 10 obtain relief from lie lie Ill.
IatHre, now N session. ,Rerre sentative Harry
pulliaEI, who keeps his hand in for managing
the Louisville baseball Club by iakinT aciiyse
part IN the deliberations OF n belligcrent Legisla-
ture, Introduced q bill repeating the red bird
net. This bill will in all probability pass befo.e
The Kentucky red bird is TO the Kentuckian
what the Southern m~ockingbird is to The Louisi.
anian; II 10 a little larger. possibly. than the
mockingbird, and Is much prettier to look upon.
LIS feathers are q deep red; tho wings, tail, and
1t is, without n rival the notes of the far.fanod
mockingblrd being less musical. 1t Is impossi,
BILE to tame or keep a Gagged red bird CAPTURED
after it is a year old. The young ones, taken
before they are able To fly, are the ones TINT
are, tanned and kept. These, OF course. know
nothing Of the freedom they have lost. nor do
they Know how to take care of themselves. 10
urn them loose, especially in the winter. would
he barbaro4s. james Lane Allen, the Kentucky
writer, has imnOrtaliZed the rod bird by makin1
him a hero. of his novel, "A Kentucky ardinaiS
ppblished four or iiye years ago.