The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11


IS full of pictures. There is continually
the sound of scrambling hoofs behind the
heavy barred partition, telling of the rus
sic that inevitably eIsues when any pow
erful crea ture gives up it's life. From I'M
der the bottom OF this partiuoned-of
apartment oozes a never-ceasing flow OF
blood that levels itself all over the sur
rounding floor. They are killing kosher
meat this morning" explains the mana
ger. There is our Sochet. He has been
here seven years. He is d learned man.
The Rabbi there, on the bench, is also
scholar. See him examine the knife.
The Rabbi locks like a scholar. He is
spare and pale, with specialized eyes and
a black skull cap pushed back from his
forehead. He runs his finger critically
over the broad, shining blade of ShoclSet's
knife. If it is satisfactory, he returns 1t
to the Shocket, who WithdraWS into the
boarded enclosure where his skilful and
religious act must be performed. There
are fresh scrambling and tusselling be-
hind those boards. Another steer dies.
The Shocket again brings his blade to the
Rabb for inspection but this time it
must be sharpened, so another cleaning
cimeter is brought to him. Far more
archaic and Oriental looking is the long
bearded Jew of great stature, but of deli
cate touch and perception, who STANDS at
the long table examining into the condi-
moving a tissue from the suspected
lungs. He leads his long fingers repeat
eddy over the membrane and finally dis
lodges it. Then he examines the under
part by pouring warm water
on 1t to find out if a hole
has been made in the lung by the
separation of the tissue from it. If a hole
has been made, the meat of that animal
will be "terepha," and not kosher" The
warm water leaks through, the animal has
had at some time Inflammation of the
lungs, and is condemned. The Shocket
performed his functions carefully and cor
rectly; the steer was apparently in
splendid condition, but Israelites may not
eat of its flesh.
If in the act of killing, the Shochet
separated the windpipe or gullet by press
ing on them with the knife. or if he killed
with a knife that has a notch, or if he put
the knife underneath the windpipe or gull
let, or if the Shochets hands trembe
when performing the Shechitah (the Jew
ish killing Israelites may not eat OF the
flesh of the animal" says the Rabbi. THE
skilful operation in the act of Shechitah
depends on two conditions-on the fitness
Of the Shochet and the fitness Of the knife.
The Shochet must be careful, active, and
brisk. A Shochet must, first of all, be
strong, that his hands may not tremble
and cause undue suffering; then he must
and be expert in examining the inner
structure of the animal He must also be
a believer in the Mosaic and IsraeitiSh
law. If he breaks the Sabbath, he is no
longer called a Shochet, but his name is
Nabal,' a miscreant; and an animal, no
matter how wholesome its condition, if
killed by such a man, is called 'Nebelah,'
or dead of itself The second condition of
a good Shechitah is a good knife, that is,
one of the required length, sharp and
smooth, without the least indentation, in
order to cut with 1t the windpipe and oeso-
phagus in the middle of the throat without
stopping and without pressing down the
knife in the least. In this way the two
bodies of the animal, the exterior body,
containing the BRAIN and the interior body
containing the heart, are separated from
one another in the easiest and best man
ner.
'In our ancient writings the most pain
full and the most painless kinds of death
are described. In the most painful death,
the soul is said to depart from the body
with the same difficulty that wool is taken
out from thorns. In the easiest kind of
death, body and soul part with the same
ease that a hair is drawn out from milk
We maintain that the Shechitah or the
Jewish method of killing, although slow
er, is easier and less painful than that
caused by blows inflicted on the head"
"One thing is certain" continued the
manager, "the flesh of an animal killed
by the Jewish method looks more invit-
ing than that killed in the usual way, be-
cause the beast has bled freely. Some
times coagulated blood is found on the
ribs of an animal killed by blows on the
head, on the inside near the spine, and
the clots of blood cannot be removed by
washing. The flesh of an animal killed by
blows is heavier than the flesh of one
killed by Shechitah, because the blood
has been absorbed by the members. The
blood is the soul, and is forbidden to the
orthodox Jew. Only be sure that thou
eat not the blood for the blood is the life,
it is written in Deuteronomy, and we be-
leve that if a man eats blood, he par
takes of its properties and transmits
those qualities to his children after him"
What is the matter with that beef?"
the visitor asks seeing the examiner shake
his head obviously over a part of the
lacy-looking membrane he held, and then
confer with the Shochet.
"A nail had penetrated the lining of the
stomach is the answer. 1T had not in
jured the creature. The flaw was healed
but still it existed, so the meat is not
kosher. How does a steer get hold of
nail? oh, we frequently find needles and
all sorts of foreign subs tances in the
stomach. OF course not so much in the
range cattle, that are grass fed but the
large proportion of the kosher meat must
come from Cdllle lndI are stan IeQ. Inc
western buyers get them, thin and in poor
condition on the range. and then fatten
them up In the stable"
What is true of the care exercised with
regard to kosher beef is equally true of the
poultry killing. There are hundreds of
poultry dealers on the populous east side
and in the uptown districts where pros
porous Jews live who have only Shechitah-
killed geese, ducks, fowls, and turkeys for
their customers. Some few of these slaugh-
terers have establishments of their own,
keeping in their employ a shochet and a
rabbi, or examiner authorized to affix the
seal guaranteeing that the ceremony of
killing has been lawful. BY far the most
general custom, however, is for the indi-
vidual poultry dealer TO buy a coop of live
fowl and lodge them at the big slaughter
house where they can be killed at a cent a
head after the lawful and prescribed man
ner.
The slaughter-house at Gouverneur Slip
has tier upon tier of padlocked wire cages
on the various floors rented out TO the
Individual poultry dealers. much as post
Office boxes are leased to patrons. Fifteen
thousand head Of poultry a day are killed
after the Jewish method at this house.
Eighteen Shochets are kept regularly en-