The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-18 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

A dissipated-looking old dame, named Mary Barry,
was placed at the bar before Mr. Henry, charged
with cruelty to animals under peculiar circumstances.
William M‘Mahon, an intelligent boy, stated that
shortly before eight o'clock in the morning he was
passing through Parker-street, Drury-lane, when he
saw the prisoner skinning a live cat; and observing
that she had laid two others with their throats cut on
a window ledge, upon which she was about to perform
a similar operation, he went in search of a constable,
to whom he gave information. He had also seen her
on Sunday morning last, at an early hour, in Brewer-
street, with a bag containing a dozen cats, which she
had picked up during the night, each of which was
smoking hot and skinned, except the heads and legs.
When he accused her with acting in such a cruel
manner to the cats, she threw them into a watering-
place at hand, having secured the skins, and said he
was mistaken, after which she took them up, and told
him they were rabbits, and that she could do what
she pleased with them.
Mr. HENRY—Are you sure that the bag contained
nothing but oats when you saw her on Sunday morn-
ing ? Witness—There could be no mistake about
it, as I saw the leg of a full grown tabby sticking
out through a hole in the bottom of the bag.
Mr. HENRY—Have you heard any of the inhabi-
tants complain of having recently lost their cats ?
Witness—Yes ' • Mrs. Daly told me she bad lost a
splendid black Tom, and another woman said she
feared something wrong had happened to her tor-
toiseshell tabby, as it had not been at home for
several nights.
Samuel Smith, another boy, said that he had to go
through Parker-street every morning to harness his
donkey, and saw the prisoner several times engaged
in the manner described by the other witness. The
street was strewed every morning with the carcases
of dead cats, to such an extent that persons passing
were made sick at the sight, and they remained
there until the street orderly came round and removed
them. He had heard many females bewail their loss,
and when he spoke to the prisoner upon the subject,
telling her she ought to be ashamed of herself for
such conduct, she replied that he knew nothing about
them, they were only wild Hampshire rabbits, and
excellent food if he wished to take them home.

Constable 102 F proved that be conveyed the pri-
saner back to the place mentioned by the boys, and
pointing to the dead bodies lying about, inquired if
these were her work ; she replied she had only ex-
amined them to ascertain if they were rabbits, and
that he or she might take them to cook if they
pleased. Having learned that she had lodged at 44
in the same street, he went there and found that the
landlady was compelled to turn her out of the house
for cooking cats. No person was able to inform him
what she did with them, but he understood that hot
cat skins brought double the amount she could get
for rabbit skins, which were only worth about a penny
each. He bad often seen the prisoner prowling about
the back streets at late hours, without knowing that
she was engaged in such a novel speculation.
The prisoner, being called on for her defence, said
that Mrs. Daly was too ignorant to know the dif-
ference between a rabbit and a cat if it was properly
skinned; and if the latter was given to her to cook,
she would find it excellent food. If any person said
that she got ber living by skinning cats alive, it was
not true, as she worked with her needle, and had suc-
ceeded in educating her son, who was now officiating
as a Roman Catholic priest, on which account she
was constantly persecuted by the women, to such an
extent that she was occasionally compelled to walk
about the streets at late hours. Had the boys be-
haved in a proper manner towards her, she would have
given one of the animals fresh to them, after the skins
bad been removed, and they would find it excellent
food, as she often did.

Mr. HENRY—I can hardly conceive a more barba-
ous act, which is made worse, if possible, by being
told that such animals are excellent food.

Prisoner—Barbarous, your Honour ! Why, sir, I
can assure you that one of them, if properly managed,
would serve you with an excellent dinner.
Mr. HENRY—I have already heard you express
yourself in the same disgusting manner ; and I could
scarcely credit, had it not been proved by witnesses
who could have no motive to mislead, that any person
could be found capable not only of stealing cats be-
longing to persons who justly complained of their
losses, but of destroying them by cutting their
throats for the paltry sum to be obtained for their
skins. As the law has happily made provision for the
punishment of such barbarous crimes, I shall consider
it my duty to inflict the full penalty, by sending you
to hard labour in the House of Correction for three
calendar months.