The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-06-09
gelfct Misrellany.
Dead Animals Testimony

The eases on record where the lives
of animals have been sacrificed in or
der that the necessary proofs of their
guilt or innocence of suspected per
sons might be established are more
numerous, perhaps, than one would at
at first suppose. Only the other day
a pet goat belonging to the proprietor
of large public house was obliged to
give up his life to prove his masters
innocence and his own lack of eau
ton.
The story, which was considered
rather "tall'' at the time, related to
five barrels of whiskey which were de-
livered to the publican by the whole
sale agent, and which remained for
some time on the pavement outside
his establishment. According to his
statement pet goat which the pub.
lican had had for some years came
along, and seeing the barrels went to
one each separately and, perhaps as a
practical protest against Customs dues
in general, ate up the Government
stamps. Five minutes later the in
s. ector arrived. and, finding the stamps
missing. corfiscated the whisky.
The publican assured him that the
goat had the stamps in his Little in
side,' but, being teetotaler, the Gov
ernment official refused to swallow so
remarkable a story. As the fine
would have been considerable, and
there was a likelihood of his license be-
ing cancelled. the publican decided
that, If necessary, lie would sacrifice
the life of his goat to prove his state
ment
He appeared before the local ma agis-
tratcs; who, after listening attentively
to his story, ordered the goat to be
slaughtered and the contents of his
stomach analyzed. This was done and
as there were distinct traces of some
thing which might have been revenue
stamps: or blotting pads, or pen wip.
ers, the publican was given the bene.
fit of the doubts and his whiskey was
returned to him. He was warmed,
however, not to keep a goat in the
future, or he might rot be so fortunate
next time should the animal evince a
taste for revenue stamps
A short time ago case in which a
servant girl was accused of robbing
her mistress Of a valuable dia mond
stud attracted some attention. The
stud was on the dressing table while
the maid was dusting the room, and
when she left the jewel was missing.
1t could not be found, and the girl
was accused Of stealing it, her boxes
searched. etc, and finally she was ar
rested and charged with the theft.
Probably at her wits end for some
means of proving her innocence, the
girl stated that the parret had swal-
lowed it; she was sure of that, though
she had not actually witnessed the
avain robbery. The parrot, it ap-
peared, had been in the family several
years, and was allowed to fly about
the rooms at will, often hopping among
the trinkets on the dressing table of
his mistress. The magistrate who
tried the case was inclined to believe
the girls statement, and ultimately
decided that her accusers must either
permit the bird to he slaughtered for
the purpose Of evidence or withdraw
the charge. After consider argu-
ment the lady agreed to the latter
course and the girl was discharged.
A bird doctor who examined the
parrot gave it as his opiuion that there
was something of a hard and foreign
nature in the birds stomach which
might possibly be the stud, though
lie would not venture to affirm this
for n cert aintv.
n few months later, however, the
parrot b came i'll and ultimately died,
and on beng dissected the stud was