Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-10-20
A HORSE TRADE.


1t Is Reing Investigated i'm the us.
tice's Court.
In the Township Court yesterday the
preliminary examination of William
Gould, charged with having defrauded J
s. Drake, of Vernon, on the 9th Of
August last, was resumed before Justice
Savage. The proceedings we're com.
menced on the 10th inst, but owing ia
the absence of several material witnesses
at that time, the case WAS continued,
after some of the testimony for the pros
ecution had been taken.
The complainant alleged that in July
last he commissioned Gould to purchase
team Of horses for him, stipuIating that
they should be perfectly sound, yet kind
and gentle, SO that lady might drive
them in safety. A few days later Gould
took team to Drake for his inspection,
but the latter refused them, on the ground
that they were too fiery. On the 9th of
| August Gould again appeared with q
team, which he pronounced as exactly
answering to tho description given by
Drake as his requirement. Not being an
expert on horsefesh, Drake accepted
Gould's recommendation and guarantee,
| and took the team, in return for which
| he gave his agent q check for 1915 on
the Los Angeles National Bank. When
Drake hitched up his new team few
| days after having purchased them, he
found that Gould had swindled him,
and he instituted the proceedings which
led to Gould's arrest.
A complaint was filed in the Township
Court, alleging, in substance, that
| Gould's representations in order to OBJ
tain the check for 1915 were false. The
body of the document contains the fol-
lowing allegations, which describe the
condition in which Drake found the
| horses:
One of said horses, to-wit: the nigh
horse and smaller one of the two, was
not kind or gentle, and complainant'e
wife and daughter could not hitch them
up nor drive them with safety because
of the violent pulling and jumping of
said nigh horse while in the stall, and
of the violent kicking of the off horse
while in the carriage. That both of said
horses then were unsound in this, that
the nigh horse had quarter crack in
each of his fore feet, which cracks were
then and there filed or puttied
up with some substance for the
purpose of preventing the discovery
of said cracks; the off horse or
larger one had stiffened cords in the
fore legs and the legs had been treated
with some substance which made them
temporarily and at that time timber, but
otherwise said legs were, because of
said stiffened cords, serious detriment
and injury to said horse; that said off
horse was diseased in the joint of the left
hind leg by an ailment or disease known
as 'thorough-pen,' and that neither OF
said horses was suitable for his wife and
daughter to use, nor we're they in any
respect good family horses or q good
family team"
A number of witnesses have been ex.
amined for the State. 1t has been shown
that Gould traded horse for the team
in question, which then belonged tt
Captain John Ellis, and received SIS t.
boot. Other witnesses have sworn thai
the horses were unsound, and not saft
team to be driven by lady.
At the hour OF adjournment the case
was not concluded, and continuance
was had until Monday next.