The Detroit times., 1911-04-29
DOVES BUTCHEREO
AND THEY GALL
IT sport"
Live-Bird Shoot Out Michigan
Ave. Proves Cory, Disgusting Spec
tacle-Boys and Girls in Crowd
Of Spectators.
Memorial for Dead (Mstksman Hold
Under Patronage Of Game Warden,
Sheriff and Other Officials.

Eastward from Illinois there came
500 silken plumaged birds, fatted for
slaughter. Prisoned In rivet-bound
crates, crowded two dozen In crate,
they came, cooling softly at misfor.
tune, 800 doves In all, bound for De-
troit. where life is worth living"
For what? For sport OF marks
men! A Times representative stay
cd long enough at Schaeffers road
house at Michigan-ave. and the Six
Mile-rd., Friday afternoon, to see
more than 200 pigeons martyred 20
the cause Of sport"
They do well to call IL sport"
You've seen hungry terrier snap at
an imprisoned rat and seize 1t at the
moment Of it's liberty, delrious at the
opportunity to shake IL to death. Tho
gun-weilder Is akin to the terrier,
with the difference that the terrier.
in killing rat, is Of some use in the
world.
Gun poised, our gallant huntsman
stands, weapon leveled. To his faith.
ful slavey, he gives the word. The
slavey pulls a lever. A bird, held
prisoner in a tiny box, some so feet
away, hops out, as the cover OF the
box pulls back, releasing 1t.
Some have time, perhaps, to catch
the faintest note Of Joy, just tiny
touch Of bird happiness, and bang!
The freedom cry has been stilled In
the making. A pathetic tapping OF
the wings, the strident tones of the
referee, the plaudits OF the spectators,
the jaunty step Of the bird butcher,
and all Is over.
At Fridays dove carnage, the ex-
pert gunmen each had two shots at
each bird. Ofttimes, the missed the
first shot and fired again. Some
times even a second shot would only
wound. Such times. the poor victim
lay until IL was picked up by a small
boy or hungry dog pounced upon
its struggling body and brought 1t %
its masters.
There were FIVE such little boxes,
the covers Of which were all con-
trolled by ropes, held by one man.
Fortunately for the innocent victims
OF the ARRAY, their assassins were
men who seldom miss. With all in
the marksmen's favor, the bird usual
ly was desperately wounded at the
first shot.
When its writhing Of limb and
tapping Of wing told everybody that
the cruel shot had failed to slay, the
referee so announced to the crowd,
and the wounded bird was brought
in by boy or dog. a
There was a keeper Of the bird
morgue, whose business II was to
wiring the necks OF birds that were
merely wounded.
When the Times man saw him he
was an unpleasant spectacle. More
than $50 bodies OF dead victims OF
the shoot, he had arranged before
him. He was breaking the necks OF
wounded birds. Sometimes, he would
do this by seizing Its warm throat
in his hands. Othertimes, he merely
threw the wounded, frightened thing
upon the ground and stamped upon
its defenseless head.
His hands were stained with the
blood of the birds, his clothing drip
ped with the gore and he joviaily re-
marked that he would make the pro-
moters OF the shoot pay for his days
work.
Often, a dove would be sorely
wounded and would fall outside q
line that was designated. In such
cases, the shot did not count to the
marksman's credit, and the bird was
left to gasp its life away, out under
the hot sun.
All afternoon, the bird slaughter
went on. Once in while, the deadly
monotony of the thing was varied by
the escape of one Of the intended vic
tins. II wasn't very often that bird
got more than 10 feet above the
ground, but in the few hours, Tho
Times man was present, he saw per-
haps a dozen pigeons escape both
bullets and fly heavenward.
There were about 200 spectators OF