The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-02
Jacques Rurren's Best Hens Came
Home With Placards Hanging
From Their Bills.
NEIGHB0RS ARE SUSPECTED.
1t Is Believed That They Baited
the Labels With Corn Because
the Fowls Foraged in
Their Gardens.

| Down near the historic old village of Ca
| hOkia. on the Eas, Side there are some old
| residents whose minds are in a state of
| turmoil There are vague rumors rife as
| TO what Will happen If certain resident
| gets his hands on certain other residents,
or their sons daughters. or even rela-
lives In fact. there is as close to a feud
In existence as ever excited the people Of
this section Of the country
All the trouble is over a score or more
Of fowls owned by jacques Burren. The
poultry is Of blooded stock and imported.
SO Bsrren asserts. from portions Of the
country where cock fights are not uncom-
mon, and where people delight in raising
line specimens OF hens and ROSTERS, espe-
cially the latter. Mr.. Burren has the habit
of poultry raising. especially Of the fight
ing variety. thoroughly cngraftei and he
has been known TO go to almost any length
10 81 cure a promising chicken to add TO his
well-stocked farm.
Recently Mr. Burren has been in the habit
of allowing hts poultry to wander at will
over the neighborho1 i. Sometimes the
poultry got into the yards of neishbors and
uprooted beds of garden vegetables in their
search for Gelicacies. Irate women. and at
times the heads If the families. drove
the poultry away. hut feared to kill any
of the members of Mr. Burren's poultry
family. because Of his possible wrath.
Within the last week the depreiat iuns by
The blooded chickens has been the cause of
much complaint. and a few days ago some
OF the younger element of the neighbour ood
got together TO devise ways and means 10
compel Mr.. BuVren 10 pen his stock up or
a least to keep them on his premises The
meeting was secret. and the result of the
deliberations of the members of the con-
ference was not known until yesterday
about noon. Then II was that the chickens
wendell their way homeward 10 partake of
the boiled cornm2eal mUsh and milk that ~
always ready for them when the hands of
the check pointed TO the hour Of L.
Nr. Burren was waiting I'm his yart. for
the return of his poultry. The first to re-
turn home was large game cock, which
had won its spurs several times over Mr.
Burren was astonished at the appearance
of his favorite chicken. 4 tag hung from
its mouth. II vainly tried 70 disiodge 1t.
and scratched and clawed fiercely. 1t was
with difficulty that Ny. Burren got close
enough to grab the chicken and to make
a closer examination. A card had been at
taChed with piece Of string to a kernel
of corn. The chicken had swallowed the
corn, but could not swallow the card. II
hung cut of its mouth. An inscription on
IL read: Il am straight out and out DEM
ocrat and dislike scratching"
A few minutes later other chickens re-
turned home Half Of them carried tags
in their mouths, bearing inscriptions such
as: There will be hot time In the old
town Tonight why don't you keep us
penned and We won't get into trouble
I'm fighter. not broier,' I'm a poor
fOrager."
= It took Mr.. Burren no little while TO
dislodee the corn from the chickens
threats. and he expects to have several of
his finest under the soil as a result There
was blood in his eye yesterday afternoon,
when he was seen by Republic reporter,
and said that II he could only get a line
on the identity of the persons who fed his
chickens tagged corn he would get even
with them.