A DEVASTATING CHICKEN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 611, 14 September 1909, Page 3

A DEVASTATING CHICKEN.

;>:j ;There/wM'recently an .amuSing motor case f. : V:M.;AniOTica l ' : 'of ■ 'domestic ./ : animals'figure; reported J iiifyhe'-v".Ureon ; . X Bagi'V;anvAtoericah : :legal', r coriteinporary, : it nip: / ithat-as a motor-car;was : passiiag quietly through: a; village in -New- England.a chicken,.J'pursued "by,-a;, cat, .suildenly-crossed the. road just, in front-; of tho'-aufcoraobile. 'J'lie, sudden of-vtlieV bliiclreii : and. cat startled: a •'pony,

' VdrivenV.by 'two''litt^ : girls,\oiie, of'\yhom :Uad;a' out'' to'' ■'/-- : '^yd*-6b(^>.t6>tlie/tot > , f^tn4 ;^elJ r (lik. thd. road right' / ,-ih';fr(mt/ofthe'Car jr. causing/'its '.driver, to 'pull . up '.suddenly'./ Just' .as this: happened- a; cDllie. '."'.travelling with' its. 'mistress ill' the carii'ltiapt; . /puts and .chased ' the'poodle,-'.which frightened' the:pony, so that'it bolted towards the car. / -Seeing; this, -the. chauffeur drove;'; towards the . /.gutter r/but./'as: the.,dogs were fighting there, - /.had to/take.; another course,': colliding : finally / / with a- stone walland;totally wrecking .the ,'nia-. phine. The. owner /of cthe.' car -brought' an : action:, for 'damages'-' against ;■ the owner of. the'. : chicken,-claiming that it was responsible for the/ damage.> Ingiving judgment, /the'. Court' ' argued 'that . there was : no doubt :j as'/' to / the chicken having been .tho -proximate 'cause' of.' -1 the"; accident,'-'for .ha'd -..it/not//crossed'' the road. the- cat/would, not -have : scared .the/pony; had ~ tko 'pony nofc/ been'. scared,- the'ipoodle would . /not-'havu got : 'oat : of the pony;,trap;, ; had the ~, poodle not/done .so- the automobile would ; not.' / have /stopped,; arid , the ..collie 'the .-'poodle -;/ would-/not.-havo been '.in :-t.he -gutter';. had /.the collie ..and . poodle . not beon-' in. the gutter -the. cat would/nofc::have ; huhg;round/to ,see things' ' through; had the"c<\t: not remained on tho scene' tho chicken would not'havo been .trying /'to. scalo "the wall; . and bad;the chicken not; been' trying.: to do this the . chauffour '• would. .; .: have : kept; his ; nerve and • saved / tlje. machine' .', from "accident.' -/yet, though the, chicken caused .the accident, the chicken's-act/was hot. in "itself . ',/ violent//or; : ' dangerous. / , This / chicken . would; /'■' f /doubtless : have. made '.a " tender • broiler; it .was': ;' .gentle nnd/'inoffensive,;:and, not. being "ferae ; naturae/', its destruction of the automobile .was', /. nncoiiscibtis; and. free' from malice,' 'Therefore, the "chicken not; having./exceeded its oommon ; /: ■ law' rights. the'actibn'could not be' riiaintained,' / and judgment/was.accordingly*,entered;for the. defendant. , • .'/:• ; /'.