Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-10-14
A HORRIBLE MESS.
What the Detectives Saw
Last Week.
HOGS FED ON DEAD ANIMALS,
Twenty Hogs Die Within q Week,
Indescribable State of
Affairs.

Indeseribable State of
Affairs.
1t will be remembered that on Wed
nesday last the Chief of Police stated te
the Police Commissioners that he be
lieved that hogs were being fed on the
carcasses of the dead animals removed
from the city by the contractor. Hi
statement was based on a report made ts
him by two of his detectives who hao
been detailed to visit the place where Mr.
Farrell, the contractor, was supposed tt
reduce the dead animals to fertilizinf
material. This place is situated in g
ravine leading from the San Fernando
road, about three miles from the city
limits, and is removed from the gaze OF
the public. The detectives, when they
returned, reported that they had seen
one of the worst places it had
ever been their misfortune to get into
and fer day or two afterwards they
complained that they had no appetitee
They said that the first thing that met
their eyes was an immense wooden val
connected by pipes with boiler few
feet away. Everything around there
was in d most filthy state, and the foul
odors which greeted their nostrils were
SO loathsome as to turn them sick at
their stomachs. A few feet above the
vat i'll the ravine was hog pen contain
ing over $50 hogs. This pen was one OF
the filthiest objects that they had
ever seen. The mud was at least
eighteen inches deep, and was black
and Shiny ia appearance; and while the
hogs appeared to be fat, they were 80
covered with mud that they mad dis
gustine appearance. Above the pen, ly-
ing in such position as to have the ap-
pearance Of having been lifted from the
pen, were the bodies of seven hogs which
had evidently died from some disease.
They were fat and bloatsd and fostering.
Above chem, in the ravine, were the car
casses of one or two horses decaying in
the open air. Altogether the picture
which met the eyes of the detectives
was not very inviting. There was
a small pile of bones near the vat,
and short distance away was grinder
evidently used for reducing the bones to
iertiliziug material. 1t appeared from an
investigation that the dead animals
when taken from the city were hauled up
to the vat into which they were dumped.
Then cover was placed over them and a
fire made in the boiler. Steam found its
way into the vat by means of the pipes
leading thereto, and in a short time the
ttieah dropped away from the
bones, which were hauled out and
piled away for grinding. What be.
came OF all the flesh the detectives
did not know. There were no signs oil
any places where it had been buried or
dried or used in any manner, and, judg-
ing from the number of animals hauled
out there every month, there must have
been large quantity of boiled flesh to
dispose OF in some manner. The detect
ives searched long time for evidence OF
its disposal by means of burial or burn.
ing, but were unable to find any.
and they came to the conclusion
that it must nave been fed to the hogs.
A hundred and fifty hogs can dispose
OF q good deal of meat in a day, and,
although they looked into the pen, they
found none of the flesh. 1t would have
been impossible, they said, to have seen
any of the flesh in the mud even if it had
been left there, but the hogs were still
hungry and were roofing in the mud in
search OF anything they could devour.
There were no signs of any other kind OF
food for the hogs anywhere in the vicin-
lty, although the detectives searched for
it, and this fact, in connection with the
others mentioned, induced them to be-
lieve that horsefesh was used as food.
They made their report to Chief Glass,
and he in turn reported to the Police
Commission, that they believed hogs
were being feed upon dead horses.
On Saturday the detectives paid an
other visit to the ravine, and they stated
last night that they never had seen any
thing quite 30 horrible. Since their last
visit the number of dead hogs had been
increased to twenty. These were
strung carelessly along the fence OF
the pen and were in horrible condition.
Exuding from the vat was an exceedingly
nauseous stream of liquid the stencil Of
which was enough to make them sick,
and between this and the hog pen were
thousands of maggots many of them
nearly an inch long. They mustered uI
courage enough to lift up the lid of the
vat, and there they saw seven bodies o
dead horses, mum Der of dead dogs and
smaller animals all covered with msggots
The stencil which rose from the steamine
carcasses was indescribable. They
}turned away too sick to make
Ian extended investigation and
returned to town. They stated tha
Mr.: Farrell disclsimed any connection
with the hogs, but he did not say tt
whom they belonged. When asket
what he did with the glandered horses
Mr.. Farrell said that they were take1
above the pen and buried. The detec
tives state that they saw no signs o
buried animals. A carcass or two wa
seen above the pen, but there was NJ
burial. The cause of the death of tn,
hogs WAS inquired into, but Mr.. Farrell
had none to give except that he sup
posed their flood was too rich."
What action will be taken in tn,
matter is not known, but il is probable
that an investigation will be ordered b,
the Council or the Supervisors.
A WERFOOT IETTER.