The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-05
Broadsword Combat Rehearsed
in the Police Court.
CRUELTY TO HORSE CHARGED
Lieut.. PiIiSbury, of the District
National Guard, and Other Profess
fessioaal Swordsmen On the Stand.
Fine ofs$2O Imposed -Sergt. Dave
Arrested and Admitted to Bail.


| officer in her najesty's army, was tried
| for cruelty TO animals That cruelty &C
| Cured, as alleged by the prosecutor, on the
| first day of this year at the Brightwood
| Driving Park in broadsword contest be-
| tween the Englishnan on foot and sergt
| Davie, of the Sixth Cavalry, stationed at
| Fort Myer, on horseback, the men belhg
! armed and armored as cap-a-pie, as any
| Spanish cavalier, who rode through 'he
| night i'm laying seigeto Grenada-the horse
| naked and unprotected, except as TO It's
| harness.
| 1t was on this occasion that Assistant
| District Attorney James l.. Pugh, Jr,
| one OF the spectators, stopped the contest
| after the horse had received a cut over the
| eve, and under his direction Sergt. STAT
terry and Policeman II Mitchell swore out
| "A warrant for the apprehension OF Lieut..
Barber, who was charged with administer
ing the wound
Mr.. d. w Classic appeared for the de
fcndant and MIR. Pugh represented the
| District before an audience numbering
many prominent citizens and not few
| military men.
In opening Mr.. Galssie said he had sum-
monpd Lieut.. Short from Fort Mycr, and
some other officcrs~to explain the broad
sword exercises, but they not appearing
he would proceed without them.
Sergt. Slattery was the first witness.
he has seen service under the American
flag, and knows something about horses
as well as men, and has often swung a
sword in an abrupt charge against the enc
my He said the very presence or man
on foot battling with mounted opponent
was an intimidation TO the horse.
II have been soldier" said the ser
geant, land | consider such contest an
unusual practice. | saw the fight and the
cash over the horses eye, and told Lieut.
Barber he must hit the man. not the horse.
The sergeant would notswear whocutthe
animal. but in answer TO aquestion said he
thought it was the result OF blow not
scientifically delivered.
lit was an upper cut, your honor" re-
marked the sergeant, dreamily, thinking
possibly OF the Australian boomerang, FitZ,
and the Pacific slope vacuum. James j.
Il really don't sec, - observed his honor,
| chow the horse could avoid being cut"
There had to be little blood-lctting,"
| interjeeted Mr. Pugh, ironically, ito APP
pease the audience"
Scotch pebbles at the prosecutor.
An, Brother Pugh," he said, but you
were one of the audience
And was appeased,' retorted the pros
ecutor, emphatically.
sergt slattery told the Judge, 10 the
best OF his belief, he thought the cut was
inflicted by the man on foot.
"One question: said his honor. Was the
exhibition for pay?''
ION, we had a permit" explained Mr.
Classic, saying the same thing was almost
a daily occurrence at Fort Myer.
Il aiiuitthe permit - answered Mn Pugh
But when a cavalryman hits n horse at
Fort Myer it is a different thing from
these men maltreating horse in an eX-
hibition,' said the Judge.
Policeman Mitchell, on the stand, was
asked by Mr.. PuEh if the crowd said any
thing after the horse was hurt.
THEY said it was a shame responded
Mitchell. land that Barber cut tn, horse TO
cow him.
Edwin II. Pillsbury, second lieutenant,
Troop a, ID. c. \. e., the referee OF the
contest. was sworn next. The lieutenant is
tail. broad-shouldered and blond. He said
many years ago he had served with the
regular army out West, and for the last
eight years had been interested in local
military affairs, and had instructed men in
n similar form Of exercise as INDUCED in
by Barber and Davie. Hc argued there was
no cruelty perpetrated ON the horse, and
that he was not suffering. He said when
a man on foot struck the horse he had TO
forfeit as many points as the referee re-
quired, showing the man would be careful
not TO let his sword strike the brute.
Il could not TELL said the lieutenant,
(which man cut the horse; but to the best
OF my knowledge and belief, it was the man
on horseback; and, further, that it was
pure accident
There was no actual harm done the
horse" sail the witness. Il know some
thing about horses. and own some aof the
finest in Washington"
Duncan o. Ross, the famous wrestler
and athlete, in a short aStrakhan-trnI-
med pea jacket, with an enormous opal
shining in his polka-1ot neck scarf, said
he had engagcdin such contests ,000timeS,
and considered, as an expert, the cut an
accidental one.
The defendant, Lieut.. Barber, with de-
cidedly English accent, said he had been
principal in like contests since 1868.
How would,you rank among swordsmen
if you cut horse purposely?'' asked Mr..
Classic.
Ranked" echoed Barber in his deep
voice, ranked as rank coward among
all men. have been in the British army
and for six months gave exhibitions at the
Worlds Fair
This closed the testimony and Mr.. Pugh
addressed the judge.
Your HONOR he said 1.-THE statutes
covering the case is so broad that we can
not only hold the contestants in this COM
bat. but every man who furthered the
contest. The horse was absolutely unpro.
tected, and suffering physical as well as
mental agony. 1t was a green horse, not
familiar with such contests, and it is inn
material who cut him, for every one of
them responsible for the cruelty is n
Principal
Would you claim that if the horse had
not been cut it would have been cruelty?''
inquired the court
Certainly, SIR" said Mr. Pugh; tits
cruelty. whether IL is carried on at Fcrt
Myer OF in the District Militia, and doubt
whether it is in that organization
Lieut.. Pillsbury got mad at this thrust,
and started TO say something, when Mr.
Pugh said abruptly: Il will not be inter.
rupted, and whoever persists in inter
rupting me shall ask the court TO fine
him ~
Mr.. Pugh went on TO denounce in I'M
measured terms the aides and abettors
of such exhibitions, and said they could
not introduce the parallels of Spanish
bun fighting in the District OF Columbia.