El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-01-12
SLAUGHTERING THE SHEEP.
Lively Times at the Stock Yards Kill
ing the Diseased Sheep.

The $3.50 head of young sheep that
were brought over from Mexico De
cember y last, are being slaughtered
at the Santa E'e stock yards by order Of
the government live stock agent.
Albert Dean, of Kansas City, who came
down to examine into the situation.
The matter is going into the United
States court, as there are more or less
| legal intricacies involved. The United
States laws are very severe. In the
J act by congress providing for the proper
| inspection of imported stock, the i'm
porVation of diseased meat cattle, sheep
other ruminants and swine infected
with any disease or which have been
exposed to infection within sixty DAYS
of their i'm pOrtation is prohibited: and
willful violation of the law is punish ed
by fine of not exceeding So, 900 or by
Imprisonment not exceeding three
years; and any vessel or vehicle used in
such importation shall be forfeited to
the United States.
Another section of the law provides
for the quarantining of infected or
diseased stock at the owners expense,
and for the employment of veterinary
surgeons, and other help and facilities
for such quarantining. a followin G
section gives the secretary Of agri-
culture power to have slaug htered in
fected stock at the quarantine stations,
the value of the animals slaughtered to
be ascertained by the secretary and
owners, if practicable, if not, by ap-
praisement by the secretary of agri-
culture. The value finally ascertained
shall be paid out of the money appro-
priated for the use of the bureau of
animal industry except where importa
ton is in violation of the provision of
the act. Moreover, the regulations of
the department provide for the presen-
tation at custom houses of certificate
of officers of the district from which the
shipment of stock originates, that they
are free from contagious disease, and
an affidavit from the importer that the
stock have not passed through any in
fected district or been exposed in any
way, aud that the vehicles of carria ge
were clean and Unaffected.
In the case of this shipment, there
does rot seem to be any such certificate
or affidavit, ard the extent of the blame
and the placing OF it where it belongs
will be determined in the April term
of the United States court. The resident
government inspectors examined the
sheep December %, and notified the
custom officials here that the importa-
ton was infected with cab. Agent
Dean was communicated with at Kan
sas City and gave the importers of this
sheep a week in which to return them
to Mexico; the duty of 20 per cent ad
valOrem, or about 10 cents per head
having been collected in the mean
time by the collector of this port. But
the Mexican government refused to
allow the sheep to return, and there
was considerable talk o dipping the
entire shipment. The matter was fin
ally settled by the government agent
Mr.. Dean coming here from Kansas
City, and his ordering the slaughter of
the entire herd in accordance with the
Law. As was natural, the owners of
the stock objected as long as they had
paid the duties, to such summary pro-
ceeding, and the recovery of the duties
paid will be something they will fight
for in the United States court. Then
the government is suing the Mexican
Central for bringing the sheep into
thu country, as well as J. B. Mandy, of
Trinidad, Colorado, for importing
thom: and the U. S. district attorney
or his assistant is due here this after
noon from San Antonio to set the ball
of litigation to rolling in proper
shape.
The Santa Fe cars were seized, but
on their being disinfected, were releas-
ed The railroad company must clean
up the otfal and disinfect the pens
The sheep came from one of the Terra
zas' herds in chihuahua. The parties
interested in the sheep. are Mr. Mandy,
Allen Packer. of Union, Ia, A. a. !
Knot, of Berthoud, Colo, and Thomas
Richards, of Trinidad, Col. These |
are stopping at the Lindell |
hotel. The value of the stock is about
six bits per head, American money, or
some $1,000 for the herd. Altogether it
IS a pretty kettle of fish.
The contractors for the killing, are
giving away the carcasses, retaining
,he hides for their trouble. The scene
8 quite an animated one, though inst