So I have just remembered some interesting articles that I had came across in the newspaper a while back. Now this is not the typical newspaper that has current and actual important news to report but rather, one that revels in reporting on the most bizarre and unusual events. A section was particularly interesting, as it talked about the most absurd law cases throughout history.
Now, you may be expecting these cases to be about people, as they obviously should be, but this paper stole the show by having a compilation of cases dealing with animals and other inanimate objects. I’ll mention just a few:
1) Caterpillars banished for destroying a vicar’s crops – An army of caterpillars is said to have been brought in front of a court to stand charges brought against them by the vicar whose crops they had dared destroy. He accused them of willfully causing destruction to his crops, with malicious intent. The lawyer tasked with defending the ill-fated caterpillars was unable to plea a convincing case for his defendant. The court subsequently banished them from the region.
That got me wondering how exactly an army of caterpillars was sent into exile!
2) Statue stood trial for falling on a man – In Greece, a statue that fell on a man and killed him was charged with murder and sentenced to death by drowning. It was then thrown into the sea where it ‘died’.
3) Bell that was charged with treason – In Russia, on May 12, 1591, a bell was charged and found guilty of treason for peeling too gleefully to announce the assassination of the then prince. It was then exiled to Siberia.
Reading those posts last week gave me fits of laughter and got me wondering why anybody would even think of charging a bell for treason or even taking caterpillars to court 🙂 To read more posts by Anne, click HERE
