A sad, yet unusual, human interest story that caught the attention of newspaper readers all across the United States.
On February 28, 1949, there was a new baby born into this world and her name was Alice. At six weeks of age, Alice would become national news.
Born in Houston, Texas, Alice lived with her dad, forty-five-year-old Clyde Emmitt Roco, at the Hou-Tex Grain company. Her home was incredibly unusual and made from 100 percent pure glass. In many ways, it was similar to a greenhouse, but significantly smaller. Specifically, Alice was being raised inside of a large glass bottle—an inverted 5-gallon (18.9 liter) water jug—similar to the plastic ones found atop water coolers today.
The thing is, Alice was, in fact, a feathered Dominique chicken. When she was a fuzzy baby, before anyone could determine if Alice was a he or a she, Roco made the decision to raise her inside of the bottle. Alice was placed on display inside the feed store, with a paper sign that read “Watch Me Grow” above her. As Alice grew larger, her weight was periodically recorded in the blank space on the sign.
Roco did make a few modifications to the bottle as Alice increased in size. First, small holes were drilled into it for increased air circulation. Once the glass home became a bit too constrictive for Alice to eat properly, he drilled a larger hole into its side. This allowed Alice to extend her head out through the opening and easily reach the two containers filled with fresh food and water.
Overall, Alice didn’t appear to be suffering in the slightest. She ate heartily, grew into a plump 2¼-pound (approximately 1 kg) bird, and clucked as all hens do. The only thing Alice couldn’t do was move around—she was confined to a glass prison cell.
Roco understood that not everyone would be happy with Alice’s living arrangements. He knew that, at some point, someone would become upset with how she was being raised. And he was right. Six separate complaints were filed with the local chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
W. S. Poe, an SPCA commissioned officer, was dispatched to Roco’s feed store on April 13 to investigate. Upon his midafternoon arrival, Poe found exactly what had been described in the complaints: a chicken being raised in a glass water jug. Not long after he began his investigation, Poe stumbled over some potatoes and damaged them, and was thus forced to leave. He promised, “I’ll be back later.” Poe kept his word and upon his return, he tried to seize Alice and her glass enclosure, but employees at the store passed the bottle around in a “basketball fashion” to prevent him from taking possession. He left empty-handed.
Within twenty-four hours, the story was picked up by the United Press and shared with readers across the United States.
Mrs. C. E. Appleby, superintendent for the Houston SPCA, declared that confining Alice to the glass bottle was “sheer cruelty.”
Roco vehemently denied that Alice was suffering in any way. “Some lady called me yesterday—wouldn’t give her name—and said she heard this chicken’s feet were so sore she couldn’t stand up.” He added, “If there’s a chicken in this town with any more perfect feet, or any more perfect anything than Alice, I’ll donate $1000 [approximately $10,650, adjusted for inflation] to the SPCA.”
Roco’s attitude simply enraged those at the SPCA, who were determined to free Alice from her glass jug. They threatened legal action against Roco if he did not let her out immediately.
But Roco refused. He told the press that placing Alice in the glass jar was an experiment designed to prove that a chicken could thrive on quality feed and a minimal amount of exercise. He stated, “Without all that running around that other chickens do, she’ll really make good eating.”
Mrs. Appleby was outraged and told the press, “This thing has gone beyond the experimental stage, and we’ll take the chicken out of the bottle and hold it at the shelter until this is settled.”
Roco did admit that his so-called experiment had been sponsored by an unnamed feed producer, and was done to generate publicity for both the store and the manufacturer.
The war of words between the two sides continued, and with the SPCA moving closer to filing charges against him, Roco was forced to hire an attorney.
Texas Civil Statute Article 761k, which was intended to protect poultry from cruelty, required that the birds be housed in “coops, crates or cages made of open slats or wire on at least three sides, and of such height, that the fowls can stand upright without touching the top, and shall have troughs or other receptacles with ease of access at all times by the birds confined therein.” The law made no mention of allowing for glass jugs.
On Saturday, April 16, 1949, Roco made the decision to put an end to this entire controversy. He grabbed a hammer, smashed the glass jar, and fractured it into several pieces.
After six weeks of confinement, Alice was finally free and…
She just stood there and didn’t move. After some time, Alice finally began to cautiously walk around the table on which her former home once stood.
G. A. Briscoe, a representative for the company that supplied Alice’s feed, stated, “I’ve seen this thing done before.” He added, “A chicken will stay still for a week or so, out of habit, you know, if it isn’t moved.”
It appeared as if the SPCA had won. Mrs. Appleby later commented, “I surely do consider it a big victory for the SPCA. I’m glad it’s all over and was settled peaceably. Now I can get some sleep.”
It would prove to be a shallow victory.
Shortly after Alice gained her freedom, Roco gave her to his attorney, W. Giles Roberts. He accepted her to cover his “fee.” Roco stated, “Hey, she will make a good meal.”
The next day, April 18, 1949, was not a good one for Alice, as her forty-ninth day of life also became her last. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts made Alice the centerpiece of their Easter Sunday dinner, later commenting that she made for “fine eating.”
It is difficult to say which side won here—the SPCA for freeing Alice, or Clyde Roco for getting the last dig in. Either way, it is very clear that the only one who lost was Alice.
1925
Police arrested William English, John Carner, and Thomas Simpson on July 1, 1925, for the theft of chickens from a coop located at the home of John D. Fell on Upper Lake Street in Elmira, New York.
Simpson was found sleeping in the back of Carner’s car and told the judge that he had played no part in the theft of the chickens. He explained that he had simply hitched a ride from Ithaca to Elmira with Carner. The judge dropped the charges and Simpson was released.
Carner, however, was caught red-handed. In one hand he held apparel stolen from the Fell’s clothesline, while his other held several chickens. He told the judge that the police had gotten it all wrong. He wasn’t taking the chickens from the Fell yard. Instead, he said that he had been transporting the chickens from Ithaca when they escaped from his car. At the time of his arrest, he was in the process of placing those escaped chickens back into his automobile.
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