Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-22
HORSE BEATING.
The Charge Preferred Against Benja-
min Emerson Of Rome.
4 Hearing Fails 10 Draw Out Conclusive Evi.
dsnce Against him.

of Friday, July %. had, while drunk,
beat his horse to death. the matter
, was taken up by Agent J. r. Bean of
this city. OF the Society for the Proven
ton of Cruelty to Animals, and on
Wednesday, Emerson was brought t.
Augusta by Deputy Sheriff M. S. Cor
don of Vienna, and the case was given
hearing before Judge A. G. Andrews
in the Augusta municipal court.
The testimony given was not conclu-
siye. but the judge dismissed the case.
stating that a further investigation
of the case would be made.
The first intimation of any abuse was
made through an anonymous letter
dated Rome. July H. in which it was
stated that John Young and ]. H.
Littlefield OF Rome. had been witnesses
to Emerson's beating his horse with
chain. 1t said that Emerson had come
home drunk from Oakland that night.
The writer stated that he was reluctant
to sign his name. as if he did he feared
Emerson would burn him out" and
that other people were likewise placed.
| The letter refers to Postmaster Biais-
dell at Rome. as having been informed
| on the subject.
Following up this letter, the men
| named therein as witnesses of the
affair, were notified to come to Angus
ia to attend a hearing at 10 o'clock,
don made a search for Emerson AMI
| found him at Harry Taylor's house,
Brackets Corner. On being told of
the cause of his arrest, he persistently
denied it and vowed he didn't strike
the horse with a chain or cause his
| death
He had A. NJ Goddard for counsel
and plead not guilty to the charge
John w. Young of Rome, was the
| first witness called for the government
He said that, on the evening of July Q,
he saw Emerson strike his horse with
something, he could not see what. as it
was quite dark. The horse was partly
harnessed and lay by the side of the
road in ditch. He said in substance:
| 1t was about one quarter of a mile
from my house on the cross road lead
| ing from Rome's Corner in the direction
of New Sharon. 1t was about O'Clock
| Mr.. Littlefield had first informed me
| that Emerson's horse was down and
we went there. When ave arrived
Emerson was trying to get the horse
up. | saw Emerson strike the animal
once or twice anyway.
Il heard him say the horse could get
up all right. l do not know how the
horse fell. He was groamng and lying
on his side when we got there. l should
not say the blows were hard enough to
kill the animal"
]. II. Littlefield of Rome, said: "On
the night of July ., l saw Emerson and
his horse beside the road. as l was
| coming from Rome's Corner. / heard
| Emerson say, Get up, get up much as
anyone would We backed the cart
| from the horse. Emerson said the
| horse was timber and ought to get up
| | heard Emerson strike the horse about
the head with something that ratified
l tried to get the horse up, but saw he
was beyond getting up. The horse was
| al lad M cal h.
horse was sick"
Cross examined, he said he saw no
chain or marks on the horse, but
wouldn't have been in a way to have
seen them had there been any, as it
was in a sort of grove where the moon
| light did not reach.
| Harry Watson testified: Il saw the
horse on that night soon after the other
two witnesses had been on the scene, on
| his back with the head down hill. Ben
said his horse was in the ditch ana
asked me to help the horse up. We
took hold together. Emerson by the tail
and by the head, and nearly got the
morse up, Out, the amman Sunk Ddch
and we gave him up. l heard the mex.
day that the horse was dead"
Cross examined, Watson said: THE
horse seemed sick. and groaned. Emer-
son made two efforts to get HIM up
and used no. cruelty in my opinion
was not surprised to hear the next day
| that the horse was dead, as he was
nearly that when l got there"
Mr.. Emerson testified that he struck
the horse with the reins. There was
trace with two or three links attached
about the wagon somewhere. but he
said he did not think that he used any
part of that on the animal. He said:
Il had fed the horse with corn and he
had the collie. He had layed down
once before and, after getting him UP.
ncinn I