ROOSTER IN COURT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1938, Page 9

ROOSTER IN COURT

EARLY-MORNING CROWING RESENTED. When the irrepressible rooster, whose early-morning crowing is alleged to have disturbed the sleep of neighbours in Brighton, Sussex, made an appearance in the local Police Court, it maintained a discreet silence. Possibly, the bird realised the seriourness of the situation, but it was hardly this which kept him quiet. His silence was enforced by a large knitting needle thrust through the top of the rush bag in which he was carried. The needle prevented him from raising his head, and it is said that unless a rooster can stretch its neck it cannot crow. The case was one in which Arthur Chick, tram conductor, of Bear road, Brighton, was summoned by Mrs Ruth Upton, a neighbour,. “for keeping a noisy animal, to wit a rooster, which caused a serious nuisance to residents in the neighbourhood.” Mr E. G. Oldham, defending, declared that on the day Mr Chick received the notice from neighbours asking him to abate the nuisance, he put the rooster in a covered box, so that it was unable to crow. He did not let it out until 7.30 each morning.

Mrs Ruth Upton: This morning it was going strong at half-past 6. Fifteen witnesses were ready to give evidence, but none of them was called, thanks to the. conciliatory efforts of the chairman, Mr B. J. Saunders. “It seems to us,” he commented, “that «-if this particular rooster can have his extra hour in bed —that is, in the box —you would have no cause for complaint.” Then, on Mr Chick, undertaking to keep the bird in the covered box until 7 a.m., thus preventing him stretching his neck and crowing, the summons was adjourned for a month.