The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-21 00:00:00

Butchers' Meat and the Jews.

Probably few people in Edinburgh are aware that
there is living amongst them a class of persons who
will not eat a single morsel of meat killed by a
butcher. They would rather eschew beef altogether
than cook any portion of the carcasses which are
now so liberally, under the operation of the Cattle
Diseases Act, sent into the city from the country.
All animal food, of whatever kind, partaken by them,
must have had life taken away by the sacrificial
knife of their priest alone, and only his warrant is
accepted as a guarantee for its soundness. Twice
a-week, in the Edinburgh slaughter-houses—on
Monday and Wednesday—the Jewish priest kills,
as did Aaron of old, the bullocks and sheep which
serve for the food for the 18 or 20 Jewish families
in Edinburgh over whom he is spiritualruler. These
animals are not slaughtered in the ordinary way—
that is, they are not felled by a pole-axe before they
are bled. Having been tied up by the neck to a
ring in the side of the wall, the four legs of the
victim are shackled by the priest. The hind legs
are then tied firmly together by a rope, which is long
enough to pass from the hind legs round the shackle
on the front and back again. The rope is then
pulled with strength sufficient to draw the four legs
close together, when the animal of course tumbles.
The rope round the neck is then removed, the beast
lying helplessly bound upon the ground. The priest
now commences his slaying operations ; and as he
appeared in his character of butcher on Wednesday,
he certainly was as unlike the popular ideal of a
spiritual adviser as could possibly be imagined.
Dressed in what are called his " killing clothes"— a
long coat, greasy and as glazed with age and dirt as
ever any son of Abraham wore, so tattered and torn
that it would have taken as many patches as Joseph's
c at had colours to have mended it, and a black skull
cap on—the priest entered the booth smoking a rutty
pipe.

When the bullock had been thrown down in the
manner described, he brought out a long-bladed
ivory-handled knife, in size something like that with
which ham is cut in grocers' shops. The blade would
be about 15 or 16 inches long and from 14 to 2
inches broad, thick on the back, but with an edge
sharp as a razor. No Gentile fingers are permitted
to pollute by their touch this consecrated weapon,
the priest having always to sharpen it himself. This
he does in a very dexterotis manner, a knowledge of
this as well as of butchering forming a necessary
part of the priestly education. Having satisfied
himself by drawing his thumb two or three times up
and down the edge that the knife is sharp enough,
the priest has the head of the beast about to be killed
so bent back as to force its throat prominently for-
ward, when, with one cut, he lays it open from ear
to ear. The death struggles of the animal are ago-
nising to witness. The beast being quite dead, the
ordinary butchers proceed to skin it in the usual
manner. An incision is made under the breast, into
which the priest thrusts his hand to examine the in-
ternal organs. If the lungs should be in the slightest
degree attached to the sides, the beast is condemned,
and another must be slaughtered ; as, indeed, there
must also be if the first cut in the throat is not suf-
ficient to cause death.

On one occasion, some years ago, as many as 15
excellent animals had to be destroyed before the priest
get one to satisfy himself. Meat condemned is desig-
nated " trifa," and that passing is called " coshar."
Only the fore quarters of the animal are eaten by the
Jews in Edinburgh, although we believe that in
London the hind-quarters also are used for food.
Wherever there is a vein in the flesh it must be care-
fully cut, or, as it is technically termed, " purged"
out by the priest, in accordance with the injunction
in the 17th verse of the 3d chapter of Leviticus—
"lt shall be a perpetual statute for your genera-
tions throughout all your dwellings that ye eat
neither fat nor blood ;" and in obedience to the 15th
verse of the same chapter the Jews refuse to touch
the kidneys or the suet upon them—" The two kid-
neys and the fat that is upon them, which is by the
flanks, and the caul abovethe liver, with the kidneys,
it shall be taken away." The only fat made use of
by the Jews is that known as the skirts, which the
uncircumcised dispose of to the tallow-chandler.
When the beast has been dressed, and the fore-
quarters cut off by the twelfth rib, the priest marks
the meat with a seal, upon which isengraved certain
Hebrew characters, and he likewise marks it with
ink in various places. These are guarantees to the
faithful when they go to the butcher that the beef is
" coshar." When it reaches the butcher the meat is
cut up
priestby him in
pieces to suit his Jewish customers,
the having previously " purged" every vein.
The names given to the various pieces of meat by
the Jews differ from those commonly in use. Thus,
the thick end of the shoulder they designate "bolls,"
the spare rib they call " prime rib," the coarse end
of the roast " chuck," the runner " top rib" and
double top rib," according to the cut. Meat, even
when passed by the priest, cannot be " coshar," or
clean, for more than three days after a beast has been
slaughtered ; but it can be made " coshar" again by
being immersed in water. Before cooking, the Jews
again " coshar" the meat at their own homes by
upside down, and
dipping it in a basin of clean water. They then
place it upon an ashet turned
sprinkle it with salt, the effect of which treatment is
to draw out all the blood, which runs down the
sides of the inverted dish. After being once more
steeped in pure water it is ready for the fire.—
Scotsman.

The Kings of Saxony and Hanover have each
bought an estate in Austria. The former has purchased
for 250,000 florins the property of Rodaun, of about 320
acres; the latter for 59,000 florins that of the " Neue
Welt," at Hietzing.
STRANGE SUICIDE.—The Temps gives the fol-
lowing account of an extraordinary suicide com-
mitted by a young English girl in France : —"M. and
Madame s—, residing in the Rue du Faubourg St.
lionore, engaged as governess for twovoung daughters, an
orphan girl, Lucy B--, a native of Liverpool. She was
well acquainted with the French and English languages,
drawing, and music, possessing a sweet temper and engag-
ing manners, she was greatly respected and beloved by M.
and Madame S—. When they went to their country seat
in the beginning of summer she went with them. There
she became quite melancholy, and though every means were
employed to divert her, she continued in this state and re-
fused to give any reason for it. At length she attempted to
commit suicide with the fumes of charcoal, but she was dis-
covered in time to prevent the completion of her design. A
physician was called in, who directed that she should be
carefully watched. This was done, but ono day Lucy
suddenly disappeared, and no one was able to tell wheresilsie
had gone. Fifteen days passed from the period of her d
smell
was noticed in the house, and it was traced to
box a
rcr
appearance. At the end of that time a disagreeableoo
was merely used as a lumber room and
was
fuslrofely m
ever
books was
scarcely
hei neh_
tered. A large chest resting on a
found here. The chest was opened and
init was found
the half-decomposed body
ra
She held fast in her
of
sLucy. which she asked for a
right hand a photog• fol-
lowing
words:—
death. I loved you.
few days before, a,u:sfd.oPNnshot°thf
I ask youras pardontten thefo
I thoughtedljaraienkgotfo it w
tell you, and too weak
to leave you, that I must die. I also ask pardon
ofMadame Ste, who was so good to me.' The post mortem
examination
id' proved that she must have made several at-
tempts for in her stomach were found pins, nails,
and poison."
a t s u