Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-01
HENRY LYONS
OUT ON BAIL
CHARGES HANG OVER REPUB-
LlCAN NOMINEE
Test Case to Decide Legality Of Arrest
as Result Of Rabbit coursins
Remains Unde-
cided

Friends Of Henry Lyons, Republican
candidate for the council from the
Seventh ward. are endeavoring to clear
up the various charges against him in
the justices court before the election
for city offices is called ! ext Tuesday,
and whether or not they viii succeed is
matter of doubt.
Lyons, during the early months of
the year, attempted to f. hit the law on
the Arcadia rabbit coursing game, and
to that end deliberately asked a test
case.
The Republican candidate for the
office of councilman had bee. deeply
interested in the coursing usiness at
Arcadia, and after officer Zimmer's
fight against that institution, which
resulted in a half-hearted condition of
frequent raids and many charges filed,
the case was taken hold of by the dis
trict attorney. Capt Fredericks gave
the rabbit runners just thirty days in
which to close up the grounds and for
get about coursing.
Test Case Arranged
The grounds were closed, but the of
ficers, among them Lyons, could not
forget about the rabbit running and
the good money that came in through
the gate, even at the expense of the
lives of the little bunnies, and thesy
began to agitate the courslng question
again.
Several times the officers had been
arrested on the charge of violating
the cruelty to animals law and had
been taken up before Pasadena courts
where 1t is alleged that one or more
cases are now pending, while Lyons
has been out on bail for an indefinite
period
A case was also filed against Lyons
during the first part of the year in
Justice Young's court, hat that case
never came to trial.
At last, after every other effort had
failed, Attorney Wallace Wideman,
representing the coursing association
and Lyons, persuaded the district at
torney to consent to a test case in re-
gard to the state law on coursing. 1t
was a fight for the lives of the rab-
bits, for the upholding of a merciful
law by the district attorney and to
prevent the only too frequently shame
full occurrences at the Arcadia cours-
ing grounds, while Lyons offered him
self for arrest to overthrow the law IL
possible.
In order that no time be- lost, Wide
man, after his client had submitted
to arrest and to bail, carried his case
before Judge James of department Z
of the superior court on habeas corpus
proceedings, in the hope of gaining a
decision there and thus being able to
open the coursing track for the regu-
| lar season.
Against the Rabbit Baiters
The argument that a rabbit was a
pest and ought to be killed failed to
| find sympathy with Judge James, who
ruled that IL rabbits were pests and
ought to be killed the killing should be
done in as humane q manner as pos
sible. and that the rabbits should not
be kept in captivity, to be turned loose
and torn to death by dogs for the bene-
fit of inhuman people who generally
attended the coursing events, many of
them for the purpose of imbibing freely
of the spirits sold on such occasions.
Since that time the case L dropped
from sight but it is said that 1t is
still on docket in Justice Pierce's court
and that Lyons, the Republican candi-
date for councilman, Is out on bail for
that charge.
Yesterday it was rumored at the
court house that friends of the Repub-
lican candidate were attempting to
have the cases dismissed and cleared
UP before the voters of the Seventh
ward go to the polls Tuesday, since
Martin Betkouski the non-partisan can
didate, is said to have victory well
in hand. Betkouski has served as fire
commissioner and is considered one of
the most efficient and reliable public
men now in office.