The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-04 00:00:00

" Yes, yes, I heard of it. And how is Mr. Wilson, and
!low is Harmony, eh ?"
" Mea,ster is tidy, thank you, sir, and the little bitch as
'at as butter."

" That's all right. Well, give my compliments and best
thanks to your master, and " —as Jack still hesitated—
"here is something for yourself."
" THANKEE, sir," said Jack, with a very marked em-
phasis on his words ; for he had really got more than ho
expected, however open he was to handling a half-crown
or two. Still he readily put it down to his care of the
puppy ; and went on to ask of Evans where he should
find his horse ?

"Your WHAT ?" said the Squire, utterly eclipsing
Jack's own emphasis of expression.
" The horse, sir—the horse I brought here last night."
"Yes, yes, we lalow all that ; and what then ?"
"Why then, sir, I be to take 'un on this morning to lvlr.

Dominic's, at Thistley."
"What in the world were you going to take him there
for ? Dominie has no want for flesh."
"No, sir, not as I knows on ; but they be going to put
'un to work again."
Evans looked hard at the Squire, and the Squire looked
as hard at Jack.
"By Jove ! my man, I'm afraid we've put 'un to work
again in a way you hardly bargained for. Here, do you
think you should really know yuur horse now if you saw
him?"
" In course I should, sir," said Jack.
And the Squire led the road to the boiling-house. Ere
took up a leg of beef as he got there. -The Oliver horse
had a white heel, and Jack turned deadly pale. The
Squire said nothing, but beckoned him out into the pad-
dock, where, under the elms, amongst other relics, was
the head of a horse evidently fresh slaughtered. The
Squire commented on this in a low ominous tone of voice.
" Once more, I say, young man, give my best thanks
and compliments to your master. lam afraid there has
been rather a serious mistake here ; but we were very
short of flesh, and you were not over explicit as to what
you wanted of us. However, it will be a satisfaction to
your master to know that he will never drop another
tenner over this poor beggar ; and so, anyhow, we have
saved him some money, and you some trouble."
Jack got through his message as best he might ; but he
was in want of a situation on Saturday ; and Harmony,
with five-and-sixpence to pay, was delivered by the
carrier in the course of the week, with a parchment label
round her neck, embodying Mr. Wilson's " best compli-
ments and thanks."—Tales and Traits of Sporting Life.

PRYOR v. IHE YORKSHIRE CONSERVA-

TIVE ASSOCIA2ION.

At the Hertford assizes on Saturday the proprietors of
the I orkshine Post and Leeds Intelligencer were sued with
an action for libel, published on the 18th October, 1866.
Chief Jnstice Bovill presided ; and Mr. Sergeant Parry, on
opening the case, said that the plaintiff, Mr. Felix Prior,
was a gentleman of large fortune, residing at Digsvrell
House, near Welwy. Five years ago he purchased a stud
of racehorses, and in June, 1865, he purchased a yearling
colt at Mr. Blenkiron's sale at Eltham, which was after-
wards named The Rake, and which was at present a great
favourite for the approaching Derby. It appeared
that
The Rake had won two races, ono the Althorp Park Stakes,
Northampton, and the other the Middle Park Plate at
Newmarket. The last race was run in the month of Octo-
ber, 1866, and on the Saturday before the race a trial
took place upon the heath at Newmarket, in order
to test the qualities of the horse before the actual race•
took place. On the 18th of October, after the horse had
won the Middle Park Plate, an article appeared in the
defendant's newspaper, signed " Observer." It stated
that " the manner in which the Rake was worked before
he ran for the Middle Park Plate had given rise to more
dissatisfaction and strong language than any event
that has occurred at Newmarket since the un-
fortunate Taragona affair." Sergeant Parry read the re-
mainder of the libel, which was to the effect that there
had been a "flash" trial, at which Mr. Matthew Dawson, the P
trainer of the Duke of Newcastle was purposely
invited
and that ho was deceived as to the weights, and was,consequently, made to appear a much more moderate
animal than he really was, and was so described to the
Duke of Newcastle. The statement wont on to allege
that the result of this proceeding was that the plaintiff'
Mr. Pryor, had been enabled to get a large sum on the
horse for the Derby, and that, when the real facts could
longer be concealed, Mr. Matthew Dawson was told,
that the trial had only been got up for the purpose oE
throwing dust in his eyes. Although the defendants bad
inserted an apology, and admitted that there was not the
slightest foundation for those charges, Mr. Pryor felt
that it was due to his own character and to his friends to
go into the witness-box and state upon his oath that the
charges were false. He did not ask for damages. II!'
Pryor was then examined as a witness, and, detailing We
facts as they had occurred, he declared that no foundation
existed for the charge made against him. Mr. Montagu
Chambers, for the defence, offered an ample apology for
the misstatement, and consented to accept a verdict agains•,
his clients, with £25 damages.
Chief J ustice Bovill briefly addressed the jury, observiug
that it was most serious libel, and expressing a hope that
the apology would have as wide a circulation as the article
complained of, and the jury returned their verdict for the
amount agreed upon.
Sergeant Farry subsequently stated that, as the action
was not instituted by the plaintiff from pecuniary motives!
the amount of the verdict would he given to the Hertford
infirmary.