The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-02-04 00:00:00

CATTLE STARVING.

forming
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At the Guildford Petty Sessions, before i full bench of
magistrates, Me. Denham, a gentleman farmer, of Upper.
house Farm, Wonersh. was charged, at the instance of the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with
causing ten cows and four steers to be cruelly lll.treated,
abused, and torture I.
From the evidence of Mr. Henry Taylor, one of the
soci,ty's inspectors, Mr. James Broad and Mr. A.
Cherry, vete, inary surgeons, it appeared that they re•
cently vieited the defendant's farm, where they found
five cows, five heifers, and five steer. in a state
of dreadful starvation. The officers declared they
never met with a worse case of the kind. As the
cattle move I about in a yard filled with slush their
hocks struck against each other, and they fell down
from sheer weaknese. It was only after a deal a strug•
Oita; that they macarzed to get up again. All the
animals had the pe uliar stare common to starvation.
The officers found no food on the premises. Scarcely

any animal had the power to walk, end the place in
which they were kept wee void of all shelter, except a
small shed which would hold four. The yard was titled
With holes eighteen inches in depth, made before the
frost. Whin the frost came this produced hillocka,
which,it was impossible for the animals to walk On.
The shed was in the same c.ondition. From the Fe ate
of the animals they must have been in a constant
degree of suffering incapable of being realized.
John Ketcher said he had been in the defendanVe
employ since Michaelmas. and had care of the stock.
It was part of his duty to feed the animals. There was
nothing for them to eat but the grass which they got
out of the hedges and in the fields, and of which there
was not a sufficiency. Lately they had been locked
out of the field., and had only the food on the common.
hed written to the defendant from time to time in-
him of the condition of the animals, but in his
replies never stated he would send any food. Within
the last month, however, he had been supplied with
some barley meal and some bran, the whole of which
he gave to the pigs and horses.
Police-constable Higginson, Surrey County Con.
stabulary, and Mr. C Smidaers, executor to the late
owner of Upper-houee Farm, occupied by the de-
fendant, also gave evidence as to the state of fearful
starvation in which the animals were found.
Mr. White, in defence, urged that the intention of
Mr. Denham to starve the animals had been by no
means proved. It was adnaittedthat up to the middle of
November there was plenty of grass, and Mr. White
endeavoured to show that after tide his client had done
all he could to procure food. It, referred to the fact
that six sacks of oats were admitted to have been
received by Ketcher, and if this food was given to the
cattle he argue I that their condition could not have
been so bad on the 2ad of January as had been re-
presented.
After the 11.nch bad deliberated a few minutee the
Cha;rman Call that their was the strongest evidence
that the defendant cad :lofting,' the Act of Parliament,
and that he had shown the grossest negligence. He
then inflicted • fuse of £5, and £2 lbs. GI. costs, re-
marking thao. he was not at all sure the Bench ought
not to have dealt more severely with the case.
The defendant asked to be allowed to state the gross
quantity of food he had pent to the farm for the use of
the cattle; but the Bench refused to comply with the
riquest, fee o urt was crowded during the bearing
of the case wbud, excited great intereet in the locality.