The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-09
RAVAGBD BY MAGPIES
Depredations in a New Jersey
County Traced to Them.
Robbed and the Eyes of
Sheep PIucked Out-Mirheeds At
utation-Timely Discovery of the
Birds Saves Him From Prison.

Birds Saves Him From Prison.
TRENTON. N. j., July S.-A number OF
the common magpie have been discovered
in the hollow of an old tree on the place
OF Farmer e. B. UmpIeby. on the Baptist
Road, six miles north Of Raven Rock,
Hunterdon County. How long the birds
tave been in this region can only be
guessed at. but their discovery has evt-
IDENTIFY saved Michael Rariton. a worthless
dweller Of the hills. from long term in
the New Jersey State prison.
For months lie farmers Of the neighbor-
hood have been up in arms because of the
mysteriousiy committed the.,s. Pigeons
by the score have been carried Off and
young chickens and ducks to the number
Of several hundred have disappeared.
Watchers have been unable to locate the
thief. Boys have been stationed in barn.
yards during the night and during the day.
but they could throw no light upon the
thefts committed even while they watched.
Finally. about three weeks ago. Mike"
Rariton was seen with pigeon feather In
his hand and he was at once taken into
custody and In the public mind was forth
with set down as the :hief
But scarcely had Mike" been placed
safely behind the bars when Farmer Um-
uieby discovered that SIX Of his lambs were
without eyes. an examination was made
and Veterinary Surgeon T. r. Willows de-
clared that the eyes had been piucked out
of the lambs by a sharp instrument. He
could not tell exactly how or when the
cruel act had been done. but he was certain
that the person or persons guilty OF the
deed knew something OF surgery. AS Rari-
ton was credited with having studied medi-
cine before taking UP, his abode in the hills
he was charged with this act of cruelty.
Rariton's protests Of innocence we're disie-
garded by the incensed farmers, and it was
even hinted that there should be hang
ing-bee In the woods. but wiser heads pre-
vailed and the prisoner was sent to jail.
Yesterday afternoon Charles Pepper the
young sportsman from New Hops Pa, Just
across the Delaware River from LanbeTts-
Vile, received permission to hunt on the
several farms on the Baptfst Road. While
lying in wait in a clump Of brush for a shat
at wary meadow lark, Pepper says he vas
startled by the cry, in an almost human
voice:
Pay. pay. pay! Pay. pay. pay,"
Pepper had read of the escape OF luna
tic from the Trenton Asylum the day be-
fore. and concluding that it was he that
was making the noise, he dropped into the |
brush to hide and, If possible. he says,
capture the crazy man when he ap-
preached Scarcely had he hidden, he |
says, when several noises in the distance |
shouted in chorus:
PAY. pay, pay. Pay pay, pay,"
In few seconds he saw Farmer Storms |
flock of sheep, that had been quietly graz |
ing about quarter of mile up the hill.
come rushing at dangerous gait down |
The steep embankment toward where he !
was lying in the brush. He noticed, too. |
lie says. that several of the lambs ran
astray Of the flock and apparently were |
oewildered. Their actions were SO strange. |
ne says. that they fixed their attention for
! time on some object and he lost sight |
of the main flock.
The flock OF sheep got to within 100
Yards of me before 1 again watched them"
said Pepper. Suddenly they commenced 10
scatter in all directions and seemed thor
oughly demoralized. Then / saw four OF
the sheep toppie over as IL shot dead on |
the spot. I jumped up and rushed toward
when six large, strange birds, Of many
roIors, arose from the midst OF the flock |
Of sheep and darted like an a,EDw for a /
hollow tree at 4he edge of the wood. Tn |
for me. / had left my gun |
in the brush when I rushed to see what |
the trouble was with the sheep. When I |
examined the fallen sheep I found blood |
down their jaws, and saw that |
their eyes had been plucked out. Then |
caught and examined some Of the lambs |
that acted so queerly few minutes before |
and found that they were without eyoet
that their eyes had evidently been plucked
out some days before.
Il then got my gun and going to the
hollow tree soon ratified out one of the big
birds. and with two snots brought him
down. Later I got enother, but couldn't
find the other four Of the six I saw, nor
do I know how many more there are IN
the neighborhood. I'm certain that those
are the birds that aaxe been plucking out
the eyes Of the sheep and lambs in the
and know that everybody
ie satisfied that those are the birds that
have been stealing the pigeons and the |
chickens and ducks. because We found |
feathers enough In the tree hollow to stuff |
a bed, to say nothing Of chicken. pigeon, |
and duck legs. Consequently Mike Rari- |
lOu Was ISlCdocu a. uhSSs CApseoy
going hts bait. and he Is now living on the
fat of the land. for everybody is certain
thet he had q narrow escape from a long |
term in prison because they caught him
with that pigeon feather"
The birds shot BY Pepper are undouhted- |
ly the common magpie. The strange part |
OF their presence In this locality is tfat |
they are a bird Of the northern region.
Last March an ermine was found on Far
mer Umpleby's place. This is An animal
Of the Arctic region. and the farmers a.e
now discussing the possible changed f0rma-
lion OF the country about Hunterdon Coun-
ty hills.
The magpie has never before been seen |
nearer to the Atlantic than the head of the |
Red River in Louisiana. according to Mr.. |
the we'll known naturalist. 1t |
IS exclusively a native of the fur countries, |
but hss often been found in stray groups |
in the interior OF Texas and even in |
The common maspie has never !
been known to suffer from cold. but in the |
,older, ATTITUDES the young have been known
10 assault horses when suffering from |
hunger.
Macsillivray and Audubon. the greatest |
laturalists Of their day. say the magpie Is
| bird to be feared In barnyard, but they
10Th declare that It will not thrive except
n the north. The two shots of Pepper
about eighteen inches. They
correspond in every detail to the descrlp-
Ions of the magpie. The tail feathers are
" unequal length. the bill and feet are
acE he nj ig pf