Evening journal., 1904-07-25
TWAS MURDER
MOST FOWL
Charles Hoimann Lost Forty
two Young Chickens From
His Run
THREE ASSAILANTS SUSPECTED
Dead Bodies Of the Youngsters, Torn
and Blee~.ns, Found Lying About
the jefferson House Yard Early sat
urday Morning.
snccIa, Ii Tho Evonlng lonrnal.

spcciai TO The Evening Journal.
New Castle, July 25.-When Charles
Hoffman, arose from his bed early on
saturday morning and ga2ed out of
his window on his yard I'm the rear of
the jefferson House a startling and un-
expected sight met his eyes
Lying upon the ground with toes
turned up and staring eyes gazing
skyward were the bodies of forty-twC
young chickens which had met death
in the spring time Of their life and IN
some unaccountable manner.
Hastily dressing Mr.. Hofmann de-
scended into the yard and began an in-
vestigation OF the crime The bodies of
the dead fowls were badly mangled,
their necks showed marks OF teeth,
their legs. wings and backs We're
broken Some OF them were still warm,
showing that the deed had been COM
mitted but a short time before it's dis
covery. Strange 10 say no feathers
were scattered about.
Three Suspects.
In turning the matter over In his
mind Mr.. Hofmann concluded that the
murderer was either stray dog which
had been seen lettering about the prem
fses on several occasions recently or
weasel who made its headquarters in
William Deakynes coal yard, and
which was known TO have a proclivity
for chickens. The gate of the chicken
run was standing open, having been
left so the night before, Mr.. Holman
believes, and that accounted for the
manner in which the murderer gained
entrance TO the coops.
There is another factor which some
persons believe may enter into the case
before the Investigations have closed.
1t is known that a friend Of Mr.. Hof-
mann's had loaned him fine black
rooster the day previous to the crime
and which had been delivered TO him.
carefully tied up in a bag, by a colored
man.
When the owner OF the bird, which
had sporting proclivities, met Mr.. Hof-
mann and some Of his friends I'm the
evening ne was joked with about the
qualities of the rooster until he was a
tri1e angered.
Il tell you what you do, Hofmann.'
said he, you bring out your chicken,
one az a time and I'll bet you $40 thai
cock Of mine will kiln every one of then
inside of ten minutes" The offer wal
declined, however. but forty-two Of thu
chickens out of total Of eighty wer,
dead the next morning. II is said IN,
rooster was penned up all night ant
was found in its coop the next morn
ing The matter will be investigated
however, TO the bottom, and the roos
ter. which is a fine specimen OF a bird
having a manly strut. is coal blacl
with a deep red comb and of powerful
physique. viii be dealt with accord
ingly if found guilty Of the crime.
Some are inclined TO believe that nei
ther Of the suspects are guilty. as n,
noise was heard during the night, ant
hold TO the theory that someone hav-
ing a grudge against Mr. Hofmann fec
the chickens poisoned food and ther
mangled them to avoid suspicion.
The chickens were all springers and
weighed from one and half 10 two
and half pounds each. Mr. Hofmanu
places his loss at about S25.
Must Do His Duty.
Lewis c. Duncan, local agent for the
Philadelphia and Salem Navigation
Company. Is being criticised severely
by many for his action In prohibiting
persons not holding tickets 10 gather
upon the wharf al which the steamer
Thomas Clyde lands on Sundays
As a matter OF fact Mr.. Duncan hal
no personal feeling In the matter an,
IS simply carrying out the instruction
of his employers who prohibit person
not holding tickets for the boat Il
crowd upon the wharf. on Sunday
principally, nor to allow holders o
tickets TO pass through the gates unit
the steamer touches the wharf. Thi
rule works a hardship in some cases
notably yesterday when a number @
nerfans who dsSiEad ta "a ep th4 hos