Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-18
ANIMALS ON TRIAL.
Dogs Reasonable Aet-Punishment
For an Elephant and An Ass.

Docs Reasonable Aet-Punishmen
For an Elephant and An Ass.
A trial which carries us back to
the Middle Ages has just been con-
cluded at belmont, in the Canton Of
Soleure, Switzerland. Last January.
a house was broken into and robbed,
and its owner, a rich man named Mer-
ger murdered. Suspicion fell on
certain Sherer and his son, who, on
being arrested, while confessing to the
crime, averted that Merger was first
attacked by their boarhound, which
pulled him down and killed him be-
fore they plunged their knives into
his breathless body. This line of de-
fence resulted in the arrest OF the
hound, which was placed in the dock
beside it's masters. The jury having
found the three prisoners guilty, the
Judge sentenced the two Sherers to
Imprisonment for life and the dog to
be shot.
In 1S49, at the time when Hungary
rose in revolt against the dominion OF
Austria, dog belonging to Magyar
patriot CHANGED to bark at an Austrian
officer. This harmless demonstration
was construed into a reasonable act,
and in default of the dogs owner. who
could not be found, the animal itself
was arrested and tried by courtmartial.
Fortunately for the prisoner, 1t by
chance displayed a marked liking for
the presiding officer, on whom 1t
fawned affectionately, and who, con-
sidering its present conduct a suffi-
cient indication Of regret for it's erst-
while disloyalty, ordered its acquittal
An amusing trial took place at
Preslau in 1925, when pig was hauled
before the magistrate charged with
savage assault upon the burgomas-
ter, whom 1t had chased through the
town and bitten in the leg. The law
yer who was retained for the ami
mails defence pleaded that his client
had mistaken the civic magnate for
one against whom 1t owed a grudge,
and was ready to offer full apology for
it's misdeed The presiding magistrate
thereupon remarked with much SOL
emnity that the prisoners correct atti-
tude had undoubtedly saved its life,
and that a fine would meet the merits
of the case. This was duly inflicted,
and paid by the pigs owner who was
then permitted to lead the delinquent
out Of court.
Mhow, in central India, was the
scene of a courtmartial on an elephant
accused OF having killed his native
keeper. With Its neck encircled by a
chain firmly attached to the collars
Of two other elephants, the culprit
was led between a double file. consist
ing of all the elephants Of the station,
to the place Of trial. When 1t had
been firmly secured, the brigade major
and staff rode along the line, halting
within a few yards of the prisoner.
Then, having produced several sheets
of foolscap, the brigade major proceed
ed to read the charges, with the evil
dence for and against the culprit, who
was ultimately found guilty and SEN
fenced to forty-eight lashes with
chain and to drag about for three
months log attached to its leg. The
first part of the sentence was carried
out by a powerful elephant, who,
welding the chain with it's trunk, be-
labored its fellow pachyderm most un-
mercifully.
Although 1t can scarcely be called
recent, the case of a gardeners ass,
which in 1853 was tried at Mines on
charge of sacrilege, may be here
cited. Its master having left 1t for
few minutes, the animal strolled in
to a church, the door Of which was
open, and seeing a basin Of holy wa
ter took a drink. Caught In the very
act, it was called upon to answer for
it's iniquity. Counsel was appointed for
it's defence, but so irrefutable was the
evidence that verdict Of guilty" was
foregone conclusion. The ass was
sentenced to be hanged and afterward
burned while the gardener was mulcted
in the costs of the trial.-London Tit
Bits.
ST One of the things you can't buy
on credit is experience.