Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1912 — DARING HEN LOSES HER LIFE [ARTICLE]

DARING HEN LOSES HER LIFE

Motorcycle Puts End to Pastime of Annoying Automobile Chauffeurs. West Springfield, Mass. —A motorcycle driven about a mile a minute in Riverdale road, according to witnesses, ended the somewhat extraordinary career of the famous dodging 'hen, which for several months has fooled automobile drivers and trolley motormen in Ashleyville. The hen was a big Leghorn, and was familiarly known as “Mrs. Dodge" to the motormen of the Holyoke road. All summer she seemed to take great delight in running in front of the cars, no matter hoW fast they were going, just escaping by a hair’s breadth. At first the men used to slow down to allow her to get by, but soon they noticed that she would start from the roadway as the cars approached and run in front of them. Time and time agam,~ It IsreporbSE, she lost ■ tail feathers. After a time the hen found the trolleys too tame for steady use, so she took to dodging automobiles. This proved more exhilarating, as they came faster and were more numerous. Persons who have watched her say that she has dodged as many as fifteen rapid succession, and seemed to enjoy the fun immensely.

She successfully ran in front-of a large touring car which was going toward Springfield at a moderate pace, but failed to observe a motorcycle going in, the opposite direction at a fast clip. Before she could change her direction of march the machine was upon her, apd with a frightened squawk she departed this life.