Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-21
ROOSTER DEAD;
FEUD YET ALIVE
CARL UNGER, FOWLS ENEMY,
INDICATED
FAMOUS CHICKEN CASE TRIED IN
POLICE COURT
Noisy Bird the Cause of All Trouble
Between Neighbors on Beaudry
Avenue-Slayer Is
Acquitted

1t was all the ROSTERS fault If he
had not persisted in Growing at all
hours of the day and night and had
had some respect for the feelings of
the neighbors, as all we'll trained roos-
ters should have, there would not have
been any trouble between the families
of the Thomases, who live at 418 North
Beaudry avenue and the fingers who
! live at 42O North Beaudry avenue.
/ In consequence of the deploraple
conduct of the rooster Carl Unger and
his sister, Frances Unger, were tried
before a jury in Justice Frederickson'
court yesterday on a charge of dis
turbng the peace. The complaint was
signed by Mrs. Mary Thomas. The
entire neighborhood in the vicinity of
Temple and Beaudry appeared in
court, each person apparently anxious
to be sworn as witness for the pros
ecution or the defense. as his or her
| animosity or friendship dictated.
Rooster Too Noisy
| The rooster incident occurred early
in March. The raucous notes of the
bird kept Mr.. Unger and his sister
awake nights. In desperation he went
around the neighborhood with a petit
ton and got everybody he knew to
sign it-that is, everybody who sided
with the fingers. The petition stated
that the rooster was a public nuisance
and should be suppressed. With THIS
document he went to Deputy Prosecut-
ing Attorney Ford to find out what he
should do next. Mr.. Ford said he did
not think he could help him much.
| Then, so the Thomas faction alleges,
| he took the law into his own hands
and shot to death the rooster. This al
legged action on the part of Unger did
,1I yifar hoo ItN-
| between the two families, which cul-
minated on March 20 in a side-fence
word war; Strong language is said
| to have been used-so strong, in fact,
that everybody who heard it put their
| fingers to their ears. A public school
is located close by, and as it was the
noon recess the boys and girls could
not help hearing.
| Mr. and Mrs. Bollinger heard it, they
| said, and were shocked. Mr. and Mrs.
Runyon, who live on Temple street,
said they heard the language from an
open window and were inexpressibly
shocked Mrs. Thomas then swore out
the complaint against the fingers, al
leging they used vulgar and profane
Language in a loud and boisterous
manner in the presence and hearing of
fwomen and children.
Called Him "Dutchman"
"Mrs. Thomas called me a Dutch
man." said Carl Unger on the witness
stand. "She said that we were no
good and didn't go to church. 1 was
disguised and started back over to
my own side of the fence, but saw
that my sister was still continuing the
argument, so l went back and said.
| oh, slush! and brought her out of the
Thomas house. Mrs. Thomas kept
calling sister Liar, liar!' and of course
the school children took it all in. as
they were out at recess. 1 tried to get
some of them here to testify, but the
principal would not let them come to
court. 1 did not use the language at
tributed to me by the complaining
witness; neither did my sister so far
forget her breeding as to use swear
word"
| Miss Unger, stately young woman.
sat beside her attorney wiping her eyes
most of the time. She bowed her head
and shed real tears when she listened
| to the words some of the witnesses
accused her of uttering. Her protesta-
tions of innocence were vigorous.
In a tilt between Deputy Prosecuting
Attorney Ford and Attorney Hinkley
for the defense, Mr.. Ford took the
stand He admitted he had asked
Unger to plead guilty if he had really
killed the chicken.
| The trial engaged the attention of
| the court the entire afternoon. At
quarter of o'clock the jury brought in
verdict of not guilty.