Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-09

Rhode Island hen. Said hen is of un-
usual color and frequently makes a
noise like an egg. reward of II is
offered for the return of the hen.
Heavily armed, and taking every pre-
caution to ward off sudden attack,
deputy sheriffs yesterday started on a
search for a remarkable specimen of
Rhode Island Red, feminine gender,
chicken, which made its escape from
Deputy Len Cleveland Wednesday
evening as he was trying to take the
fowl to his home.
The story of the escape of the hen
is vouched for by a dozen witnesses
and several messages of coincidence
were received by Cleveland yesterday.
Cleveland, besides being one of
Sheriff Whites most efficient deputies,
is a family man, and when not chasing
bandits and escaped prisoners he de-
votes much of his time TO curing his
chickens of the roup and hoping that
they will continue to lay many eggs.
Price Rather High
For the last several weeks Cleveland
had his eye on a fine specimen of
Rhode Island Red. The pullet was
closely watched by an East First street
merchant, and whenever Cleveland
dropped in to ask the price of red
preferred the merchant thought
awhile and then remarked, 'S4.5O.'
And each time Cleveland left.
Finally one day as the deputy passed
the place the dealer called to him and
remarked that the pullet could be
bought for $3.50 because it was Wednes-
day, and as Cleveland looked at the
bird he saw it wink one eye in a
pathetic way and draw its foot across
it's throat in a suggestive manner
Cleveland never had been accused of
being chicken-hearted, but for once he
had a heart for chickens, and no appeal
from q child could have been more inn
pressiVe than that from the endangered
fowl He bought the Rhode Island
Red, and putting it in sack placed
the sack in the back of his buggy and
started for home.
The deputy carried a fine pair OF
"bottle neck" handouts in his pocket
but never thought for an instant thai
they would be necessary, so he drove
along, thinking of the many eggs the
hen might lay.
Proved Her Gratitude
He had hardly proceeded fifty yards
when the voice OF the hen raised ltseli
} in one long triumphant cackle, and
Cleveland turned around to investigate
To his intense joy he found that the
little hen, evidently to prove her graft
tude, had laid an egg.
my, but you'll cut a fine figure in
that barnyard," remarked Cleveland
and, according to his own statements
he made the mistake of his life then
for the hen heard the word "cut" and
she knew something about that.
So while Cleveland drove homeward
the little hen reached out one claw and
united the string. Stepping quickly tc
the back of the vehicle she leaped tc
the ground, and dragging the sack after
her she started down an alleyway and
then to the mountains, where she now
Is said to be barricaded In strong fort
in the Arroyo canyon.
Cleveland did not notice his loss until
he was a block farther on, and ther
all search proved unavailing.
Searching parties are being organized
and the country will be secured fol
! traces of the missing "Biddy," bu
meantime Cleveland, who has faced
death hundreds of times, is grief
stricken over the thought that the find
ing OF some dark secret may reveal th'
! dark death Of the Rhode island.