The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-11 00:00:00

BALLOON ASCENTS WITH ANIMALS.

TO TH3 IDITOC OP THR aaram.
Bllt,—As fair play has ever been the distinguished
characteristic of your journal, I trust you will excuse my
eking you to permit me to make, through the medium of
your columns, the following remarks in reference to the
charge preferred against me at the Westminster Pollee-
court, a report of which appeared in your paper of the Bth
instant. The alleged offence is that of cruelly ill-treating,
abusing, and torturing a pony used for the purpose of a
balloon went from Cretnerno gardens, of which I am the
lessee; and I cannot but feel that, if I have rendered my-
self liable to such a charge I am utterly:undeserving ofthat
share of support by which my enterprise and exertions for
the amusement of the public have hitherto been so liberally
rewardea ; and, therefore, although the report which ap-
peared in your paper is pubstant billy correct, as far as it has
gone, I am most anxious, not only that the public should
know that, previously to the ascents in question, I had
every reason to believe that nothing like cruelty ot
treatment could occur, but that they should also be aware
of the nature and extent of the evidence by which I met
the accusation which has been investigated before Mr.
Arnold.

When the subject of equestrian ascents for the amuse-
ment of the public was first brought to my notice I required
before I would entertain it to be convinced that no cruelty
or ill-treatment of the animals would he involved ; and I
not only found that upwards of 150 similar ascents had bees
safely, made by M. Poitevin in Paris, but that previously to
the first of those ascents in the Chump de Mars a commie-
non had been appointed by the French government to
ascertain whether there was any cruelty in the exhibition
(and amongst the members of that ccmmisaion were some of,.
the most eminent veterinary suer ens in the French metro-
poles) ; aft ir the most rigid inquiry, aided by practical
experiments, reported in the negative, and it was only on
the receipt of that report that the Parisian magistrates per.
mined, as lam informed, the ascents sn that country. Is
addition to this I had the opportunity, by seeing the ponies
used by M.Poitevin, of ascertaining for myself whether their
aerial voyages had produced any injurious effi eta ; and, so far
from that being the case, I found that the animals appeared
to be (as described by one of your weekly contempo-
raries) "as pampered-looking, sleek-coated, careful)
tended animals as were ever driven in the
phaeton of a feshionable; lady:" sod." was informed that
the mode by which the suspension was effected was so well
calculated to form an entire, equalised, and perfect and
smug bestriag, that the French retirement bad actually
pasted M. Poiteven a patent for it, as an improvement
=civ rulesco
ius
o fmode:vi,oke, preventedobject;ineffietincesiinit;,arcreiacts from
being andom
being fully shown on the investigation at the tVestminster
Police-court, I submit that they form a sufficient justifies,
tion for my assenting to the adoption of this mode of con-
tributing to the amusement of the people.
In reference to the charge which was investigated before
Mr. Arnold, I would observe that, as the witness through
whom it is endeavoured to fix me with cruelty is Mr.
Dure,lwials that his evidence should be placed in joins-pod-
ties with that of the eminent veterinary surgeons who were
aped as my behalf, in order that the public may be able to
esehmeht the testimony on both aides at its proper value.
Mr. Dawn, as your report states, says that the eilhct of
animals being thus taken up attached to a balloon would be
ts produce " • compression of thrfabdoininal viscera, conger
Lien of the blood veseels in the hinder extremities, extra's-
mien in the peritonean lining of the abdomen, producing
Istontal bruises and giving a great deal of pain and suffer-
leg to the mensal." I would respectfully request the
losordom As following extracts from the notes of the
abott.baiti writer employed by me on the occasion, the
etterestases of which is verified by his certificate, which I
•oodoes for your satisfaction.
Kr. Gillham, a veterinary surgeon, in practice for It
=is asked—" Have you seen the manner in which the
1111,0 harnessed and attached to the balloon wt.ilo
iteenneflat? A. I have.—Q. In your judgment, would
from injury
rialto:midsay not."—Then the questions were asked
about compression and congestion and extravasation, to all
of which be gave a negative. "Q. If there had been an
extravasation in the peritonean lining of the abdomen,
weald the ponies have been well ? All should say certainly
see. I examined them yesterday, and they were in a per-
fectly healthy state."—Mr. Hall, a veterinary surgeon,
_in
extensive practice for 16 years, after corrohorating Mr.
°Wham as to compression, congestion, and extravasatioa,
is silted, " Have you heard the evidence given by Monsieur
Poitevin with regard to the ascent and descent ? A. Yes.
—Q. Have you seen the horses harnessed, and the mode in
which they are affixed to the car of the balloon? A. Yes.
—Q. In your judgment, taking all the circumstances into
consideratien, do horses s..ffer pain, torture, or injury, from
that mode of transit through the air ? A. Certainly not; I
have had a horse for seven years in a sling."
I am well content that the merits of the case should be
judged by the relative value of the testimony of men like
Megan. Hall and Uillham on the one hand, and of Mr.
Dews on the other, without referring to the evidence of
Madame and Monsieur Poitevin, to whom, however, al-
though they may be deemed interested panics, I trust the
public will extend the courtesy of believing them, when
they state that upon the descent the ponies began to feed
most heartily as soon as they reached larva firma, and
surely if that he so it can scarcely be said that either fear
or torture was operating on their nervous systems; and in-
deed it must be borne in mind, that Mr. Haws in his evi-
dence admitted that the ponies went to the balloon for the
purpose of being attached to the car with the most perfect
willingness and docility, which is scarcely consistent with
their having suffered pain in the previous sweats.
Having thus briefly and for my can justification put the
public in possession of the facts, it will not become me to
make further remarks on the case which was heard before
Mr. Arnold; but I will add that, although alter the very
careful inquiry and investigation which I have made as to
the effect of taking up animals on serial expeditions in the
mode adopted b M. Poitevin, I am inclined to believe
there is neither ill treatment or cruelty in the act per se, yet
I attach so much weight to the remark made by Mr. Arnold
as to their powerless condition in case of an accident, that
whatever may be the result of the present inquiry, I have
come to the determination not again to permit such ascents
from the gardens of which I am the lessee.
I am, Sir, yours respectfully,
Cremorne House, Sept. 10, 1852.

T. B. SIMPSON.

TUE BULL ASCENT AT CREMORNE.— This event
has turned out rather unfortunately for Mr. Simpson, the
lessee of the gardens. It appears that the soiree], soon whir
alighting on Ferro firma, was, for reasons to be explained,
found in such a condition that a veterinary surgeon advised
I that it should be slaughtered ; and Mr. Simpson, who eon-
eludes, as will be seen from his letter, that he has carefully
guarded himself throughout against the imputation of cruelty
appears to-day before the magistrates at the Ilford Petty
Sesaiou, to sower a charge of ir-treatment against him by
the Society for its prevention. Whatever may be the issue
of the affair, a check will no doubt have been given to such
exhibitions.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY BY A FARMER.—The Court
of Arises of the Marne tried four days ago a farmer named
Dast, of Corrobert, who had always borne • most excellent
character, for a very audacious highway robbery. A re-
ceiver of taxes, named Belton, was on the 23rd of June het
poetise near a wood, on his way from Verdun to Corrobert,
with the taxa which, according to his monthly custom, he
had collected is the different villages of his &mitt All at
one he perceived a man with hie fare covered with a
pieket-handkershief advancing towards him. Be turned
aside to let him pus, but the stranger placed himself
right before him without speaking • word. M.
Belles asked what he wanted. At the seme mo-
ment the man, without replying, struck him a violent
blew ea the linden% • stick, and i/fitted a severe wound,
M. Baca pulled the pocket-haadkerchief from thu
men's fees, sad pereeived Tat, whom he knew very well.
" What, Deed !" he cried, "is it you who treat me this way
on the high reed, in the open day ? Why, what en pos-
sess you 1" But Dust, without speaking, continued to
strike him savagely with his stick. Greatly terrified, Hel-
los demanded pity, and offered his money if his life were
spared. " No—no quarter !" said Dut, end he continued
to strike. After a few moments of a terrible conflict, Hel-
len threw aside the bag containing his money and took to
light. Dist picked up the bag and went away. Fortu-
nately Belton had changed the greater part of the sum he
had received for two I,ooof. hank notes, which he lad platted
in his pooket, and the contents of the beg were consequently
not se large as the thief had expend. Information was
given to the gendarmerie, and Dart was arrested. The
wounds of Bellon were very serious. The jury brought in
a verdict of guilty, and the eoort eondemned the accused to
imprisonment, with hard labour, for life.—Osairsani.
PORK toe THE WESTERN STATES OT AMERICA.—
A friend in Cincinnati writes to us as follows : " Among
the most remarkable things here is the process of slaughter-
ing and cutting up hog" by steam. A hog is killed, cleaned,
cut up, and set to cool in almost as little time as it takes to
write it. Pork I. at present in such demand that some of
the slaughtering-houses are killing at present, and curing
in ice-houses; and it is mid that notwitbetandisg
the extra trouble and expense, they will make
very well of it. It is • new experiment, and
may fail, that is, the pork may become bad
sooner than if cured in winter, but in the meantime
it will have been sold and shipped, probably to
Canada, and the money made on it. We have had no rain
here of any consequence far the last two months, and the
drought has done serious injury to the crops, then par-
ticularly. I travelled through Indiana last week, and
was told by many of the farmers there that they feared
the crop of corn would sot average five bushels to the acre.
In the interior you are aware perhaps that almost the sole
stock of a farmer is hogs, in eonsequenee of the
facility for taking them to market compared to grain ;
they depend entirely upon the corn to feed their hogs
and as the lispsy of corn will be etheedingly short and
the number of hogs is said not to he ever the average, and
pork being thwperticularly scarce, ammo to me that they
mud rise. One of the most fortunate pork dealer* about
here, with wheat I have been lately residing, told me that
he wee so fee convened of the truth of this, that be has ia-
vested 50,000 deb. in pork, to be delivered this fall et pre-
sent prime."
COTTON ?EOM THE GOLD COAST OF AFRICA.—
Mr. Thee. Boothman, secretary to the Manchester Chamber
of Commerce, has received a specimen of cotton grown en
the plantation of • gentleman at Winhebash, ta the gal
omit of Aides. A memorandum which acesnmanied the
parcel states that the gentleman had 30,000 thew plants M
bearing at the time this speoinsea wad hospidnik. midst
he sad his blether were clearing MG sillidthefistaned
land to extend thine adieu likalliaolw It• e
fal,deeoription of cotton, of a moderate le .
has been valued by Mr. Thos. Beatty, • w 4
Chamber of Camerae, at 7d. to 7id• Per At. ; •
"1-4,sus
Z. 411 t• ‘l,t,e
• -
'Ted
avdst/VIS

f