The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-07-25 00:00:00

MASSACRE OF DOGS IN NEW YORK

The Neu, York There Of a recent date has the following :--
" Notwithstanding the success of Professor Doremus'
experiment at the dog pound on Thursday last, the
attempted killing yesterday of 58 dogs received on
Thursday by the same process, owing to some bungling
in the mode of its application, or in the manufacture
of the gas, was attended by horrible scenes told
subsequent mutilation and butchery that beggars
description. Soon after nine a.m. Mr. Murray, who
supplies the gas, proceeded to till the tank from the
generating apparatus, consisting of two apparently
loosely-constructed casks placed at oblique ends of the
enclosure. The lid and side-door of the latter had
been previously fastened to prevent the gas from
escaping. About 9.30 a lighted candle, inserted in the
chamber to ascertain the density of the gas, was
instantly extinguished. The cover on the top was soon
after removed, and at 9.43 the first dog was thrown
in. On landing at the bottom he leisurely walke i to
an angle in the chamber and sat there about two
minutes without exhibiting the slightest symptoms 0
faintness. The remaining 57 dogs were then rapidly
pitched in by the poundmaster and his assistant, and
the doors securely closed. For the space of half.
an-hour the struggles and scratchings of the animals
against the sides of the tank could be distinctly heard,
and at the expiration of an hour Mr. Marriott opened
the upper door to disclose to view a writhing, gasping
mass, horrible to gaze upon. The lid was immediately
shut down, and a fresh injection of gas from an iron
tank applied. For the next 40 minutes a hoarse,
spasmodic breathing could be easily detected by ap-
plying the ear to a tube leading from the retort. After
the expiration of two hours and eleven minutes,
during which time the tank was opened three times,
the lid was again removed, and about one-third of the
animals found to be still alive and fast recovering
their vitality from the admission of the fresh air.
Poor Mr. Marriott, who, to give him his due,
seemed to be using his best endeavours towards a
hasty extermination, now appealed, in utter desperation,
to Mr. Bergh's officer as to what course he should
pursue. The officer of the Society for the Prevention
, of Cruelty to Animals) suggested that the dogs be
' taken out severally from the tank and clubbed to
death! This was, however, abandoned for the more
humane process of immersing the reviving animals in
pails of water. Ihree of the latter receptacles having
been prepared for the purpose, both doors of the tank
were opened, and Marriott proceeded to rake out the
dead and dying. The first six drawn forth were
found to be dead, and were immediately thrown into
the cart in waiting to convey them to the dumping-
ground. On the third haul, the first dog con
signed to the tank was found initialed and writhing ,
on the sharp iron prongs of the rake. As the
assistant immersed his bead in the water, the poor '
beast repeatedly snapped at the stick used to force
him down. Soon -after this the animals still
within the chamber came scrambling and rolling
out, to the intense consternation and terror of
the several officers and spectators present. All
jumped on benches, chairs, and other available perches.
Once out of the tank, the maddened brutes trotted
around the kennel in all directions, vainly trying to
escape from the death dealing club of Marriott, and a
shower of bullets from the revolvers of the officers. One
large mastiff, after having had three shots fired into
his body, had to be eventually dispatched by blows
from the club in the hands of Marriott. During this
disgusting butchery four of the animals were drovrned,
THE ENDOWED SCHOOL ACTS AMEND. two shot, and six dubbed to death. When the car-
casses had been removed, and the pound closed for the
MENT BILL. day, the reporter ef the Times, wlao was present and
Several Liberal members of Parliament and Non. narrowly escaped being shot by the officer who tried to
conforraist ministers were at the conference which was , kill the resuscitated mastiff, paid a visit to Professor
held in London on Monday afternoon at the West- Doremus, jllll,, and inquired the cause of the humilia.
minister Palace Hotel to protest against the Endowed ting failure. The prufesaorappeared verymuchsurpriseo
Schools Acts Amendment Bill. Mr. John Morley, at the result of his process, and could assitin no reason
Professor Bryce, and Mr. Charles Roundell were also for its failure other than mismanagement in the mode
present. Mr. Morley moved a long resolution eon- of applying, or an insufficiency in the amount of the gas
demnatory of the bill, and added some remarks, in used. Noone,heeaid,coulddoubtthedeadlypropertiesof
the course of which he said if the Liberals could be carbonic acid g,as if properly applied. Iledeniedthathis
asked what would best serve their turn in the country, father was the author of the plan adopted at the
they would reply that it would be by allowing the pound on Thursday, he having merely suggested some
Government to pass this measure, and he thought improvements in the manner of injecting the gas into
the liberals were acting very generously and very ti.. chandxar. Mr. Murray, ou being interrogated ;Ai
prekidicially to their owl interests by presidia the matter, asserted racet positively that he acted

Mr. Hughes, who followed Earl Granville, rejoiced
that the houses had been built under the co-operative
system, and said the result was that they had coat 25
per cent, lees than the cheapest jobbing builder in
London could have built them for.
Mr. Evelyn Ashley, M.P., and Mr. Hepworth
Dixon also spoke, the latter drawing from the success
of this experiment the lesson that national funds
might be safely invested in providing dwellings for
the poor. The lesson, however, seems to be exactly
the opposite, for it points to the solution of this pro-
blem without the help of the State and upon ordinary
commercial principles of supply and demand. We must
not, however, be too sanguine in our expectation that
the problem is solved. A glance at the inhabitants of
Shaftesbury Park shows that they belong to the upper
strata of the working classes, and that the ordinary la-
bourer is very sparsely represented there. One, indeed,
WAR mentioned ti us who had bought his house with
"the scrapings," SS he said, of many years of thrift. No
analysis was supplied of the occupations or wages of
the tenants on the Estate ; but it is doubtful whether
more than 20 per cent, of occupiers in the fourth class
of house are pure and simple labourers. The rest are
artisans of a superior class, and there appear to be many
foremen and small clerksamong the tenants. It is doubt-
ful whether a rent of 58. 9d. a week is within the means
of many labouring men in receipt of, say, 235. a week,
especially when they are called on besides to pay
railway fare on every working day. Even in the
case of artisans the proportion of rental to income
would probably be not less than one-fifth or one-sixth.
Such are the difficulties of town life, though there is
no reason to suppose that the struggle to adjust
rental to income will be much more difficult in Shaftes-
bury Park than in less comfortable and healthy homes
in other parts of town. Some agricultural labourers,
however. may learn contentment when they see such
rents being paid for such houses. In the Eastern
Counties, with many very bad cottages, hundreds of
modern cottages with two and even three bedrooms,
outhouses, and ample gardens are let for an average
of Is. 6d. a week, instead of is. 9d. or 6s. 9d. for
houses without gardens. The peasant may con-
sole himself in some measure by reflecting that
I he often lives in as good a house as the luckiest
1 town labourer has, for an average of at least
4s. a week lower rental; that the proportion of
rental to income is with him one-tenth, or even
one-twelfth, instead of being one-fifth or one-sixth;
and that, for the same money, he has a garden
which supplies him and his children with vegetables
nearly all the year round. You see poultry in Bnme
of the back yards at Lavender-hill, awl that i 4 a
luxury not to be enjoyed nearer town. The peasant's
pig would be sadly out of place there, but it is
no nuisance in the farm labourer's garden, and
ought to be to him another consolation when he
contrasts rural with urban life.
After the speech-making, refreshments were pro-
vided for visitors in the Lecture-hall, and Lord
Shaftesbury presented to the tenants prizes of books
for the best exhiltitin of flowers in the forecourts
and windows. Later in the evening there was a
I concert, followed by more addresses and by fire-
works.