The record-union., 1893-08-03
DEPUTY COW -CATCHERS.
They Are Bigger Men Than Decent
Citizens.
The Outrageous Assault on J. j. Farrell
Excused and Upheld by Police
Judge Buckley.

Joseph Freeman, a Deputy Pound
master, charged with assault with a
deadly weapon on j. J. Farrell, was up
for examination in the Police Court yes
to-day.
The testimony showed that the cows of J.
.. Farrell were grazing on the Sutter Fort
property by permission of the watchman.
Two of the Poundmaster's deputies took
the cows, and when Farrell demonstrated
and took hold of the rope on one of the
cows Freeman struck him over the head
with club, cutting a deep cash and
making painful wound that has not yet
healed.
The court reviewed the testimony and
held that, as Suffers Fort was a public
lot, the Poundmaster had jurisdiction
over the cows, Notwithstanding the per-
mission given by the watchman. Such
being the case, Farrell was resisting an
officer of the city. 1t was not clear that
it was necessary to club him, but perhaps
the deputy thought it was. The court
then discharged Freeman, but failed to
hnd Farrell guilty Of resisting an
'otlicer"
In this connection 1t may not be out of
erty Is State property, under the charge
Of Board of Trustees appointed by the
Governor III pursuance OF an Act of the
Legislature; that as State property it is
neither public street, sidewalk nor park
OF the city, and that, therefore, it is not
Included in the local ordinance comforting
certain jurisdiction on the Poundmaster
Apparently, then, the deputy cow
catcher was transgressing his authority
when he invaded the premises, as he
equally transgressed the law by beating
with club a citizen whose only otfense
was that he did not propose to he robbed
for the purpose of putting fee into the
PoundmaSter's pocket.
The purpose Of a pound ordinance is to
prevent people from allowing their
horses and cows to run at large on the
streets and invade private premises. 1t
was never the object of the law TO put
into the hands of any hoodlum who may
be elevated to the position of deputy cow
catcher the authority to abuse and beat
good citizens because they resent being
subjected 10 eXtortion, on mere technical
tiles, in order that the POundmaSter or
his deputies" may make fee. Yet this
appears TO have been the construction
placed upon the ordinance in times past.
The custom has been in this CITY to put
poor people 10 expense if their cows hap
pen to break their ropes and get away
from the persons in charge Of them, al
though the latter may use every effort TO
recapture them. Indeed, cases have been
known where deputies have sat around
and waited for cows to pull away from
children, and then run the animals off to
the pound, inticting trouble and robbery
upon Woodworking men and their fami-
lies.
The law is all right-laws generally are
but neither the Police Court nor the
City Trustees should countenance the
acts of incompetent and heartless OIL
Gals who rely upon its literal wording
and technicalities 20 license them to prac-
tice eNtortion on citizens.
1t is simply a matter of history that
private premises have been invaded by
deputy dog-Catchers in this city in years
past and pet animals turned loose upon
the street that they might be thrown into
the pound for the money it was known
Their owners would pay rather than lose
them.
Judge Buckley has been in office, in
one capacity or another, for great many
years in this city, and he ought to be cog
infant OF the outrageous acts OF Pound
masters and their deputies" that have
been ventilated in the courts. Therefore
1t IS difficult to see by what sort of reason
ing he arrived at the conclusion that
deputy" Freeman did his simple duty
III clubbing citizen Farrell with a deadly
weapon because the latter attempted to
prevent his COWS from being removed
from lot where he had been permitted
TO place them by the person in charge
an Enclosure, by the way, that does not
belong to the city, and where the deputy
cow-catcher was himself virtually, if not
actually, a trespasser.