Worcester daily spy., 1871-04-19
Rn.cnIlr Rulchoru Fxnnsed.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1871.
RascaIIy Butchers Exposed.
A coroner's investigation has brought to lgh
certain denominations of the Brighton meal
market hitherto unsuspected by most people
who use beef Last week, Geo. Temple, 4
butcher, in the employ of August Weitz, OF
Brighton, dressed for his employer an OK which
had been trampled to death in the cars between
Albany and that place. The carcass, it is said
''was in a decomposed state.22~vTemple used a
towel to wipe the ipsid11'' me carcass, and al.
terwards I'D It toS,slpe his face, on which the
"a had been broken by a scratch. This &C.
casioned what the physicians described as "blood
poison" of which Mr.. Temple died, last Sun
day. The case, which produced considerable ex
citement and inquiry, was investigated by
coroner's jury, whose verdict is that the poison
eame from the diseased OK. But the testimony
taken made very startling revelation OF facts
In regard TO the practices ofsome ofthe Brighton
butchers. The witnesses swore that it is part
of the regular business ofsome of these butchers
to dress dead and diseased cattle, and send the
flesh to market.
1t appears, in the testimony, that it is con-
stantly true, that some of the cattle arriving at
Brighton in cars, are dead when they reach that
place,-having fallen in consequence of weak
ness or disease, and been trampled to death.
Others arrive nearly dead, or very weak from
disease. ALI these are bought by butchers, and
their flesh is sent to market as good beef, ex
cepting in cases where disease and putrefaction
are too manifest in the "beef" to be hidden
One witness, butcher, testified that the animal
which poisoned Temple "was as bad subject as
ever saw" and yet he saw part of the carcass
next day, "on the south side of Faneuil Hall
market, in Weitzs wagon" They were trying
TO sell it, and seem to have disposed of one quar-
ter, at the time. Here is an interesting pas.
sage from the testimony of Louis Reynolds, a
butcher employed in one of the Brighton estab-
lishments:-
"This OK smelt very badly. One dead steer
before this was dressed at Wilkins's slaughter
house and was carried TO market. 1t appeared
TO have been trampled to death in the cars
Have known of diseased meat being killed
and taken to market by George Sawyer. Have
butchered off and Oh for thirty years. The cat
tle have killed for Sawyer would not eat my
self WeitZ has a wagon made expressly for
carrying dead cattle to the slaughter house.
dressed and some weeks less. Of the TWO dead
cattle dressed Tuesday, should say one had been
dead day or two. Do not think they died from
disease, but probably they were rampled on in
fheears."
Another butcher said;-
"Weitz has the reputation of killing all kinds
of cattle; do not think there are more than four
or five butchers in town that would dress dead
OXen think every butcher in town would carry
10 market beef Of cattle infected with the fool
and mouth disease; the meat of animals killed
on the cars is carried to Boston, and sold al
Blackstone market and about the town at 6
lower price"
Another testified thus:
"Know of August Weitz taking dead OK to
Wilder's place to-day (April 17th), which died in
the cars; carried one from the cars to Zoller's
one time in the same way; that was dressed
there, and was so putrid inside that it made one
of the most experienced butchers sick it was
carried to market with the rest of the beef to be
sold; have dressed three dead cattle this year
for Zoller; one of them was so bad that the per-
son who carried it to market, Samuel Larnard,
of Watertown said he wouldn't eat it; another
one was sent to me by Mr.. Craig, one of the
cattle inspectors, with the directions to kill as
soon as possible as it was sick; am now suffer
ing in my hand from killing the one sent by Mr..
Craig"
Charles Bohn, who appears to be in the service
of Weitz, or in some way connected with him,
swore that he rose at four O'Clock, next morn
ing, and helped Weitz load half of the OK dressed
by Temple, with the carcass of bull which
could not walk when taken to the slaughter
house. The flesh of the sick bull was sold "at
prices ranging from IS to 12i cents" for good
beef. The testimony was generally in this
strain. Mr.. H. NJ. Wild provision dealer,
said "A great deal of meat is sold at Boston
market, that is not fit to eat, that comes from
Brighton" Horace W. Jordon, of the board of
health, had no doubt of this and the fact was
made too clear for denial. 1t appears that when
the unwholesome meat is too bad in appearance
to be sold readily in the market, it is sold to the
sausage makers. Those who eat Boston sau-
sages will make note of this.
These revelations suggest the Importance oi
inquiring carefully, whether the existing laws
relative to the transportation and butchering ol
cattle, are sufficient. The arrangements fol
transportation should be such that cattle will
not be trampled to death in the cars, nor sub
jected to such suffering as will make them weak
or rdevelope disease. Perhaps the transportation,
properly done, would be somewhat more expen-
siVe; but sanitary considerations, make it neces-
ssry; and every right minded person will feel
that this barbarism to sour dumb animals, +"
should be abolished As to the rascally prac-
tices of certain Brighton butchers, they should
be suppressed, and the guilty parties should be
punished without mercy. If the existing laws
are insufficient let us have laws that will meet
the case. Such practices should not be tolerated
in any civilized community. The sternest and
most unrelenting measures should be employed
against them. The municipal authorities in
Boston can do something. Let them employ
detectives, if need be, and deal thoroughly with
every villain who is caught attempting to sell il
that city, such "beef' as that brought to view
nv ffio