The Portland daily press., 1897-05-19

l. e1ASIh CttIllS 1EOIl UllO i<AN0y
nerd. Part of the meat was cooked and
psir6 was raw
heander Frank of Falmouth visited the
9ifaIughIer house, after the slaughter OF. the
LIBBY herd. Their carcasses were piled on
uiie JOG hoor and were being cut up for the
!en.leflng tank. No care was being used
~, -, n'eil ~ or cutting the beef. Steam
was on IN one of the boilers, and the beef
was pelhg dumped into the tank.
n, Isaac &C a. Sweetsir, who is employed at
Mr; Best's store on Commercial street,
Testlilea that he slaughtered all of the
i illppy neIu' lie IS not experienced IN
Dutcherlng for market; he used an axe
in quartering the carcasses. his object be-
ing to 90 the work in as speedy a manner
| as possible. All but six or eight of the
cattle showed evidence of tuberculosis.
No more meat than usual was brought
into the store from the slaughter house
during the month of January None of
the meat from the Libby herd was, to
his knowledge, brought there.
Certified records of convictions of
Charles E. McDennott for assault and in
| toxication were offered by the defense
William Gum, foreman of the slaughter
| house and rendering works on the Best
farm at Scarboro, was next called and
| was given a lengthy examination. He
testified in detail about the Strengthening
of the cows and oxen purchased from Mr..
! Wormell, the South Portland cattle deal
er. On the Tuesday after the slaughter of
the Libby herd, some of the carcasses of
the Wormell cattle were sent to Portland.
Hay was placed on the bottom of the
wagon, burlap placed over it and then
| the meat loaded on No covering was
placed over the meat He could not re-
member what driver hauled the load 1t
was brought back that same afternoon.
Coming to a question of the disposal of
the Libby herd, Foreman Gum testified
that he cut the meat from the bones and
| cooked the meat and bones together. All
of the Libby beef was put through the
rendering process. Some of the grease is
| there at the works now, and the rest was
sent to the Portland store. The total
product of the Libby cattle was six or
seven barrels of greese. There were also
two barrels of grease that had been tried
out of other cattle.
"Did you ever sell any of that Libby
meat, or offer it for sale, or hold it in
tending to sell it as human food?" asked
Gen. Mattocks.
mo sir, I did not" was Foreman
Gum reply.
County Attorney Libby then took the
cross examination. He questioned him
| first about the process followed in the
killing and rendering of the Libby cattle,
as to how much time was spent in dress
| ing the cattle, how long it took to try out
| the grease, and what was done with the
cooked meat. He also asked many
| questions about the killing of the cattle
purchased of Fred Wormel1, and especial
| " about that load of beef which was sent
| from the slaughter house to Bests store
| ON Tuesday, January IL, and which was
ordered back. The witness had testified in
his direct examination that he could not
| remember which driver conveyed that
| load to the store, but being asked to re
| fresh his recollection he informed the
prosecuting attorney that McDermott was
| the one.
| Asked if he did not say something to
McDermott about the kind of meat on
that load, Foreman Gum replied that he
guessed he did tell MoDerlnott to be care
full how he spoke to people about meat,
| for some of them might think that
| diseased meat was being sent to market.
''What made you believe that people
were thinking sop asked the County At
| tOrney.
II had an idea they were.''
| ''What gave you that idea?"
II heard some of them speak about it u
'Then you understood that people were
suspicious, did your
Eyes, sir. | know people are apt to be
| suspicious of such things.
| Questioned further regarding the return
| of the load of beef, Tuesday, the witness
said he sent word by McDermott to John
| Wilson, the book-keeper at the store, that
this beef was ''all right" and he was
considerably surprised when McDermott
| brought it back
"Did you know that the Libby cattle
were affected with tuberculosis"
| Eyes sir, did. -
Glow did you know it?''
because had been told by DIR. Bailey
and Mr.. Deering."
Did anybody else tell your"
"Mr. Best might have
"But did Mr.. Best tell you?''
| ~ cannot remember whether he did or
| not
I'm what condition was the slaughter
house when the Libby cattle were killed?'
| cit was dirty
"Why was it kept dirty if you had been
using it for slaughtering cattle for mar
| ket?''
eve couldn't keep it clean when the
Libby cattle were being killed"
sfDid you send to the store any raw beef
with the cooked meat of the Libby herd?'
Yes, l sent in some.
"Some raw beef from the Libby cattle?"
eyes SIR
" w haU 1Of!
| "For hen food
CHOW did you happen to think that any
would be wanted for hen food?"
~ had heard that somebody wanted it
for hen food"
| Asked if he knew what had become of
John Gates, John Mcdonald and John
Hill, former employees of Mr.. Best, the
witness replied that he did not a
"Was all the offal from the Libby cattle
rendered." the witness was asked, and he
replied: CAN that could be-.
At this point court adjourned till after
noon.
AT the coming in of court, in the after
noon, Foreman Gum again took the
stand and his cross examination was con-
tinued, only one or two questions being
asked him by the county attorney.
| Redirect examination being resumed,
| the witness testified that all the bones of
the Libby herd were thrown out with the
bones of other animals slaughtered there
The co urt room was crowded when
John L. Best, the chief respondent, was
called to the stand. His direct exa1nina-
ton lasted half an hour, and his cross
animation an equal length of time His