June 25, 1927
Monterey Park
The latest version of the old riddle, “Why did the chicken cross the road”, debuted today in Judge P.F. Guaiano’s courtroom. It fell flat.
While cruising his regular beat in the hills south of Monterey Park, Officer T.J. Neal eyeballed some shady looking characters in an automobile. The lawman resolved to have a look, and after further investigation he discovered three men, a decapitated chicken and three empty sacks with feathers stuck to them. Arriving at the obvious conclusion that the poultry had been pinched, Neal demanded an explanation for the beheaded bird. The suspects related a story so improbable it left the cop scratching his head in disbelief.
According to the men, Yeacio Tavary of Downey, Isa Magana of Belvedere, and Daniel Garcia of Los Angeles, they had been out for a drive when they spied a headless chicken running amok through the countryside. Imagine their surprise when, without warning, the frenzied fowl dashed up to their car and jumped in!
What were they to do? The bird possessed no identification, which ruled out returning it to its rightful owner. After a brief confab, the trio had decided to keep the bird and had been on their way to cook the obliging entree when they were rousted.
Officer Neal hadn’t believed the fantastic tale of the hitchhiking chicken, and apparently neither had Judge Guaiano who mused “Chickens are not that foolish”, and ordered the defendants to spend ten days in the slammer.
