The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-03-07 00:00:00

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Mr. Richard Hardy, of the Fountain Hotel, Wayinouth.
was summoned for causing a bone to be worked while in
an untlt state.

-Mr. Atkinaun, of Mandford, appuired for the deferk-
darq,

Thu charge arose out of a case tried at the last Court,
when a man In the employ of the defendant was charged
with cruelly driving a horse front Weyinouth to Dorches.
ter. As upon that occasion the veterinary surgeon gave
It as his opinion the horse was not ins lit condition to
Perform the journey, the Case Wag adjourned, in order
that the master might lie summoned. On tho lot of
March, Sergeant Mitchell served the summons on Mr.
Hardy. at Weymouth, and in reply to it he said he was
present when the mail was started on the night in ques-
tion, and there was nothing the matter with the horse
then.

—Ralph (lollop, a clerk at the Post Office, repeated the
evidence he gave upon a Cornier occasion relative to the
condition of the horse upon ILI arrival—an hour late—
from Weymouth.
Mr. Joseph Lipecombe, veterinary surgeon, described
the injuries which it hail suffered. Ile further added the
hone was in an emaciated condition, and was in an unfit
condition to perform the journey at the time he saw it.
The condition of the horse generally was poor, and his
opinion was that generally it was not fit to do eight miles
an hour.

In reply to Mr. Atkinson, Gollop said the time allowed
for the journey from Weymouth to Dorchester (eight
miles) was one hour and ten minutes when the load was
light, and one hour and twenty on the return journey
with a heavy load.
Mr. Lipsoombe, cres•exatnined, said the horse was
evidently suffering from the brutality of the driver, and
had every appearance of being cruelly overdriven. He
was not prepared to say that when the horse left Wey-
mouth it was not in • At state to take the mails to
Dorchester.

The Tow. n Clerk : Mr. Lipscombe, you were examined
last Monday, and you then stated '• the horse was under
condition and unfit for such work as that of drawing a
mail cart between Wermouth and Dorchester, indepen-
dent of recent injurie• Do you adhere to that opinion?
Wttneu: I adhere to.it._ _

iiii:."—Arkinlo774;tar—ir7d Mr. Lipscomb: was rather a
young member of his profession.
Rupt. Coward called the man Randall as a witness
against Mr. Hardy. He said he was not now in his
employ. On the 19th of February he started at half-past
eight, but he did not "mind' seeing the defendant before
he started. The condition of the horse was the same as
It had been any other night—not fit to be drove, poor
and weak, and not lit to do the work.
Cress-examined : lie had bees in their employ rather
over two months, and he was under notice to quit. Ho had
made no complaint of the unfitness of the horse; bat he
had driven it about a fortnight He gave Hardy a receipt
(ruin the Post Office that night
Mr. Atkinson: Then what do you mean by saying you
did not mind seeing him!
He knew Mr. Jesty's house; be went by there at a trot
on the night in question.
Mr. Atkinson: I will caution you, Mr. Jetty is in court,
will you swear you did not go by at a gallop.—Witness : I
don't mind.
Mr. Atkinson: That's all I shall ask you. I have had
enough of you, and I should think the Bench has too.
Mr. Atkinson then stated on behalf of the defendant
that the horse was bought at Blanilford, by Mr. Hardy,
horse dealer, of a clergyman, and sent down by him to his
nephew at Weymouth. It was perfectly fit for its work,
but the man being under notice to leave revenged himself
by what was on his part a gross act of cruelty.
Mr. Jesty, of Radipole, said the man drove by his house
at • gallop of 15 miles an hour. He was then cruelly beat-
ing it, and as he hail seen the same thing before, he made
it his business to inform Mr. Hardy.
W. J. Farwell, • groom, stated there were no wounds
on the horse when it left the stable on the night in
question.
Mr. J. Legg, harness maker, deposed that he had
received instructions to do everything necessary in the
repairs of the harnesa whenever the men might bring it to
him.
Mr. Jno. Woodlands, who keeps an hotel close to the
stables of the defendants saw the horse two or three days
before the Pith ; it VIM thin in a condition to do any
work.

The Bench said the impression on the minds of the
magistrates last Monday from Mr. Lipscombe's evidence
was that Mr. Hardy was somewhat to blame ; but after
what they had heard they were of opinion Mr. Hardy had
not laid himself open to that amount of blame that would
justify a conviction. Undoubtedly in many cases horses
unlit for the work were used in Government contracts, and
it was quite right there should be a certian amount of
pervision over them.
Supervision
defendant, John Randell, whose caw had linen
adjourned was then called upon to plead. 11. had nothing
to say in his defence.
. . . . .

Supernitendent I,oward said he war cautioned by the
polka two days previouely.
The Bench thought it • very bad caw and lined
defendant .C 3 including CaStII, or in default • inonth'il hard
labour.

A FORMBOTON ROW.

Mary Ann Burt was summoned for using abusive
lanvuage to Catherine Mitchell calculated to excite to •
breach of the peace. The parties are next door neigh-
bours, and they are it seems rival laundresses and a
dispute arose between the fair ones as to their relative
rights to hang clothes on railings opposite their respective
establishments. It became so warm that the police were
called in ; but the astute "6 D. toll the ladies they ioust
settle it among themselves. A settlement Was, however,
only arrived at after • number of pointed allusions to the
discretion of each other, and animated chatter, and this
appeal to the law.
Defendant produced a small array of neighbours with
whom she had lived for 17 years, to xpeak to her genendly
lamb-like character, but they were not examiunl
The !tench said they would dismist the case.
Defendant: Thank you sir, God bless 'es, good-bye all ;
thank God I be out o' that.

ALLEGED WATCH STEALING.

Alfred Paull alias Thomas Sissills,labourer.of Beami aster.
was charged with stealing a silver Geneva watch on tne
18th July, 1875. the property of Ana Hayward.
The prosecutor lives at Friary-buildings, and the
defendant, during July last, lodged with her. On the
morning of the 18th she left her watch downstairs and put
it on the table, lie took it up. She endeavoured to stop
him, but be walked off with it. When be went back to
dinner about half-an-hour after he said he had broken the
glass and had taken it to be repaired, but he would not
tell her where, lie left on the following morning,
promising to bring the watch back in half-an-hour if it
was done, but he did not return. She a f tarwards saw him
at Weymouth, when he said his landlady had it and if
she liked to pay her ss. she could have it. She told him
she had not got the mosey, and nothing more occurred.
The prisoner's defence was that she gave it to him to
keep so that her husband might not know she had got it.
The magistrates eventually dismissed the case.