The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-09 00:00:00

arrived at in a case in
just heard at
Merthyr Tydvil, which seems to
Include. a more
reckless and aggravated indulgence in savage
barbarity, combined with a brutal ino;-
ence
to the sufferings inflicted, than has n,:en
permitted for some time to shock the feelings of the
ffer.
well disposed portion of the community. At the
instance of the " Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals," it was found necessary,
about a fortnight ago, to institute no less than 36
distinct charges of the most barbarous cruelty
against the :colliery manager, a Mr. Bedlington,
the veterinary surgeon, a Mr. Wiltshire, and a
subordinate servant, one Moses, all belonging to the
Rhymney Iron Company, working at a " cutting"
called the 'fir Phil Level, in Glamorganshire. The
cruelty was exercised, and evidently had been con-
tinued for a long time, on the horses employed at
the works. Mr. Colam, the secretary to the society,
in consequence of information received, obtained an
official examination of the horses by Superintendent
Wrenn, of the Glamorganshire constabulary. That
officer found the poor animals in such a horrible
condition that he at once had them taken out of
their harness and sent to their stables. It was high
time. The wretched brutes--we mean the horses—
were covered with wounds, palpably caused by work
beyond their strength, but which work, despite the
wounds, was still exacted from them. These wounds
were ulcers of a large size and of long standing,
under the collars which bad caused them, and upon
which those collars pressed whenever the poor
animals moved. There were many on each animal.
Moreover, these ill-fated creatures exhibited wounds
on their backs, which were accounted for by a state-
ment enough to turn one's blood cold. These
horses were actually forced to work in a cutting, the
roof of which was naturally rough and jagged, but
which was lower than their own height. Many of
these horses measured 5 feet 2 in. at the withers,
whilst the roof of the cutting was only 4 feet 9 in.,
so that the poor beasts were compelled to perform
work, already too much for them, owing to the
ulcers on their shoulders, in a locality where every
step added to them a few more injuries on their
backs, and this was a process " of long standing."
No wonder Mr. Colam remarked that " it Was
incredible outside a colliery." But there was
something more incredible still to relate in the
matter. The summary, proceeding of Superinten-
dent- Wrenn was reported by the subordinate
servant, Moses, to the colliery manager, Mr. Bed-
lington, when that humane individual ordered
the horses into work again the following day ! This
brutal intent was only frustrated by actual force on
the part of the police, and a body of constables was
left on the spot to prevent,pendente lite, any further
employment of the suffering animals. On Wednes-
day the case came on at Merthyr Petty Sessions,
when the above incidents were disclosed, and their
truth not disputed. A Mr. James, for the defence,
admitted the facts, but asked for a " nominal
penalty," on the ground that the defendants were
ignorant of the law ! He might just as well have
urged such a plea in a case of murder. He also
" hoped that the fact of other horses having been
substituted for the injured ones (the employment of
which had been prevented) would induce the magi-
trate to inflict in this,the first offence, a mere nomi-
nal penalty." The decision of the magistrate seems
to have been upon a par with the extraordinary
nature of the whole affair. He " considered that
the company were in every respect to blame, and he
should act upon the impression that the fines would
be paid by them." He accordingly contented him-
self with imposing penalties on this wealthy com-
pany, which amounted altogether to about £l4,
thus awarding no punishment whatever to the com-
pany who had been really the guilty perpetrators
of a barbarity disgraceful to the name of man.
Why should a fine have been inflicted at all, unless
of a really round sum sufficient to insure a due care
on the part of the company for the future. The
only penalty of any practical use by way of punish-
ment or warning would have been a personal inflic,7.
tion on those who had personally offended. There
is no lesson so likely to teach the cruel the enor-
mity of inflicting torture as to subject them to a
little of it themselves. Those who are most reck-
less of pain in others have the most decided objec-
tion to their own endurance of it. As it is, the
perpetrators got off scot free (save, we should hope,
from the disgust of even the colliery district). The
directors will give a cheque for the amount ; but oil
the direction of the Rhymney Iron Company there
are respectable names, and perhaps they need hardly
be reminded that the stigma which even this most
lenient magistrate could not refrain from passing
on them yet remains to be cancelled, and that they
owe it to themselves, no less than to human nature
in general, to insure that it shall never be
repeated.