The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-06
DISEASED Cattle FROM WATERToWM
Hscht and Stern Escape Conviction for Bring
ing them to the City.

The Court Of Special Sessions was thrOnged
yesterday with farmers. butchers. milk deal
ers. lawyers. and politicians. who went to the
trial OF Jacob Hecht OF los Attorney street and
Abraham Stern OF 707 East Ninth street who
were charged with attempting to bring eleven
cows suffering from pleuro-pneumonia into
this city.
Col. Hastings. who represented the Board OF
Health. called DR.. John T. Comfort Sanitary
Inspector OF Morrlsania, who said
"On the morning OF the 9Th OF February re-
ceived information that there was a car load Of
COWS on tho track OF the New Haven Railroad
consigned TO A. Stern. and that all the animals
seemed 10 be suffering intensely. drove down
to the depot and found eleven cows In car i
ordered them 10 be taken out. when they all
staggered and fell. and seemed very sick l
then drove them to stable attached to the
pound. l made an examination Of them. and
found that seven were in an advanced stage Of
ro-pneumonia. and the other four We're in
tho first stages Of the disease. The prisoner
Hecht called upon me subsequently and asked
me what was going TO do with the animals. He
said the cows were not exactly his. but that he
had an interest in them. Stern next called on
me and said that he had bought the animals at
Watertown, Conn, H. said he had seen the
COWS there before he had purchased them. and
that he had then called on Mr.. Curtis Judson Of
the Gramercy Park Hotel and bought the cows
Of him for Mr.. HecGt. and that he expected TO
.Dr. Alexander Liautard. veterinary surgeon
OF the Board Of Health. said: made an eX-
animation OF eleven cows in a stable IN Morrl-
SANTA. ! found seven Of the animals suffering
| from pleuro- pneumonia. and made a report 10
that effect TO DR.. Day, the Sanitary Inspector
| made three visits 10 the animals. and on the
| third day found that the disease had become
Wpos vlTaient ,H reported TO- the B3ard of OF
| their order destroyed them. All tho animals
were terribly Diseased The malady is very
| contagious aud most dangerous.
Mr. Curtis Judson Of the Gramercy Park
Hotel said; - keep, hotel. | have a farm at
action with Hecht. and incidentally told HIM
that three or four of my cows had died. that
some inspector had since stopped the milk from
mind 10 get rid Of my cows. sold Mr.. Stern
the eleven cows. Before he purchased them he
bought them, sold the lot for 320Q.'
At this point Col. Hastings endeavored to
draw from Mr.. Judson nn admission as To
whether there was not something suspicious
in the fact Of his selling eleven COWS for SO
small price Justice Morgan. however. over
| ruled Col. Hastings. on the ground that man
need not adhere 10 the market value Of any
| thing when enrcting sale.
Mr. Judson, continuing. added that the COWS
| were to have been delivered from his farm to
the North Natertown Line. Mr. Judson had not
seen the cows In six months. Al the time Mr.
Judson purchased the an mas, they were fine
! lot. | sold the cows to get rid Of the expense
| Of keeping them. rs they were OF no use to me.
| the mix haNlhg 10 De throWn AWAY. Mr.. Jud.
| son in his ss-"Xnminatl9n, said that he hhd
| told both prisoners that he had heard that his
cows were sick, and that six OF them had died
The prisoners lawyer inquired IL Mr.. Judson
| told the prisoner llecht that Mr. Hyde. an In
| spector OF the Connecticut state Board Of
| Health, had reported that the cows were in
| health. MIR. Judson said: | recollect telling
| Hccht that Mr.. Hyde had killed two II my cows"
Col. Hastings thon called Mr.. William Burn
| ham. one Of the permi: clerks Of the Board OF
Health. who, produced IN court ne p"rmiti
| Abraham Stern. permitting them on their own
! Application. 10 drive through Third avenue
| eleven cows between the hours Of midnight
and in the morning. This closed the case for
storms counsel asked for the discharge Of
! his client, Abraham stern. on the ground that
! the Board Of Health had failed 10 prove that the
animals were allowed to enter the city at all that
| Dr. Comfort had failed 10 show that Stern mad
! brought tho COWS in. Dr.. Liautard had testi-
| fled that seven Of the animals were afflicted
| with the disease, but had not been able t. prove
what the animals were. No evidence had been
ndduced showing that the animals were the
same that had come from Watertown.
! Justice Kihreth-The Board Of Health have
! shown that there were eleven cows received
! within tho city limits. but they have produced
no evidence u satisfy the Court thai those eleven
! WatertJwn.
col Hnstings-It is impossible to show more
| thnn have done have proved the sale oi the
| animals and the acknowledgment by both pris-
oners that they were the cows brought from Nj.
Judson's farm at Watertown.
The Court. however, decided that Col, Hast
| ings had failed in producing proofs TINT he had
not brought any railroad official 10 prove that
| the COWS were the same shipped from Water
| town. Stern was discharged
| Counsel then moved that Hecht be discharged.
Justice Kilbreth-As far as Hecht Is concerned
there is no doubt in the mind Of the Court that
| he II guilty.
The stonographer's minutes however showed
that the cattle were consigned 10 Stern, and
Heeht was also discharged.