The San Francisco call., 1896-08-14
ARSENIC PO|SONS
THIRTEEN HORSES,
Dastardly Outrage Com
mitted by an Unknown
Ruffian.
ACCOUNTING TORTURES.
Efforts of the Best Veterinary
Surgeons Prove Of No
Avail.
HEAVY LOSS TO THE OWNER
Endeavors Will Be Made to Bring the
Perpetrator of the Crime to
Punishment.
HEAVY LOSS TO THE OWNER.

It looks as though Charles A. Worth,
who carries on an extensive draying busi-
ness in this City, has been marked as the
vengeful. Thirteen at least out of six
teen powerful high-bred draught horses
which Mr.. Worth Kept in the Golden
Gate stables died yesterday from the ef-
fects of arsenical poisoning.
On Wednesday night the horses were
stalled after their days work, all ap-
parently in fine condition. Yesterda ay
morning they were taken out as usual,
and, one by one, horse after horse died in
his tracks.
The first fell at the intersection of First
and Mission streets, his body Immediately
swelling and becoming most offensive.
Hardly had the carcass been removed,
when another horse, which was standing
in New Montgomery street, near the
Palace Hotel, was taken with what seemed
to be a fit. In his fall the horse struck
the iron door of a pavement elevator,
which ripped open his flank to a depth of
thrt inches.
The symptoms in both cases appeared
so full OF suspicious indications that the
matter was reported to the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and an
Investigation set on foot for the purpose
of ascertaining the facts in the case.
Meanwhile the horses kept on dying.
Veterinary surgeons were called into re-
QUESTION, and with much ado the horses
remaining alive were parceled out among
them, some being placed in charge of DR..
E. j. Greedy, others with DR.. Masoero, and
still others at DR.. Egan's veterinary hos
pital near the Golden Gate stables.
The animals displayed every evidence
of extreme suffering. Sweating profusely,
their heads drooping and their bodies
swollen, the poor creatures paved the
ground IN agony. The remedies en-
pIoyed, though the best that could be pro-
cured, seemed to be of no avail. The
poison had evidently penetrated into the
vitals of the doomed brutes, and by night
fall thirteen were dead.
DR.. Creely removed the stomach from
one of the horses which died in his esta b.
lishment, and Professor Cunningham, the
well-known chemist, made a searching
analysis of it. Large quantities of arsenic
were found mingled with traces of par
TALLY digested food. The horses are esti-
mated to have been worth about $50
apiece, and Mr.. Worth's loss is hence no
small one.
ST am at loss to imagine who can be
at the bottom of this affair."" he remarked
ycStCIQdy CfChAusS oc hafO LIZ CuOIulco
that know Of I cannot suspect any one
of deliberately scheming to injure me in
so dastardly a fashion. Still l shall use
all diligence 10 discover the author of the
crime. and ii succeed he will be punished
as severely as the law will allow"
Mr. Worth ordered the managers and
food bins to be cleaned out and thoroughly
scalded. The stalls, watering troughs and
buckets were also deluged with boiling
water. What remains of the food of which
the horses had partaken has been given to
Mr.. Cunningham, who is making tests
with the object of ascertaining if possible
whether the food itself was poisoned or
the arsenic placed in the bins and troughs.
"If there is anything | hate" said DIR.
Greedy, "it is to see fine horse die. How
any man could be cruel enough to visit Sc
terrible q death as arsenical poisoning
upon one of these noble beasts is more
than I can conceive. Five trucks and q
wagon passed by here to-day. chained TO-
gether and with the harnesses of the dead
horses heaped up on one of them. The
trucks were chained together one after
the other, and when / thought OF the fine
animals who had drawn them the lum Der.
ing cavalcade reminded me of funera
procession hope the perpetrator of the
outrage will soon fall beneath the
vengeance OF the law"