[Note: This was one of my favorite columns by legendary North Carolina writer Dennis Rogers. It originally appeared in the News & Observer, and later in Rogers’ book, It’s Bad News When the Bartender Cries. This is a summary of the story.]
Lonnie Roberts owned a good mule and now it was dead and he found himself in court.
His mule had run into an electric fence on the property of a neighbor, Lacy Oldham. Oldham’s fence wasn’t powered by a small battery — the man had connected it to a 110-volt line of Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L) and the powerful jolt killed the mule.
So, Roberts sued the neighbor and the power company in 1946.
It might seem like Roberts had a pretty good case, but the power company had a clever lawyer in A.Y. Arledge. He wrote “It is a matter of common knowledge amongst those acquainted with mules that a mule is endowed with a genius for self-preservation.” He went on to speak of all the things a mule could do instinctively for survival and then added “… the genius of a mule enables him to discover the presence of electricity without resorting to the sense of touch.”
Essentially, he laid out the case that the mule committed suicide. “… in reckless disregard for his own safety did heedlessly run against said wire fence and became his own malefactor.”
The case, filed in Lee County Superior Court, was dismissed.
I remember this one. Thanks!
He had so many good ones for so long!
Lacy Oldham was a Sanford businessman with substantial net worth in land, etc. Call your next case.
Sounded like he was also clever!
That’s a great one. Miss Dennis.
Me too — glad I’ve got his books.
I’m sorry, but I literally laughed until I cried. Turns out that I gave the appearance I was really moved by the death of a good mule.
Haha! Dennis Rogers could spin a great tale – I surely miss his work. Thanks for reading.