The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-10-14
DOPING ARMY MULES.
An Odd Imposition Practiced Upon
Uncle Sam
Old and WOrn-Out Animals DOctored
UP for Sale to the Government
How 1t Was Found
Out.

A unique swindle of the government
has recently been exposed by DR.. Ed
Ferrell and further attempt in that di-
rection prevented. DIR. Ferrell is WELL
known st. Louis veterinarian, having
taken up the large practice enjoyed by
his father, when the latter was ap-
pointed inspector of horses and mules
for the government. with headquarters
at Chicago.
According to the young veterinari-
ans story a large contract for army
mules was recently advertised, and, fol-
lowing the rules and regulations, was
let to the lowest bidder This man said
he would furnish all the mules wanted
al SS5 apiece.
'The first consignment was to arrive
in East St. Louis" said DR.. Ed Ferrell,
"and father appointed me to inspect
them. When looked at the papers and
saw that $S5 was the price per head at
once concluded something was amiss,
for ] knew a good mule cannot be pur-
chased for less than $50. But the an
imals I examined seemed all right;
| they were sleek and lively. and appar-
emily came up to the requirements.
| During the first half hour that was in
| specting ] noticed that was never per-
| mitted to examine a mule very closely.
| The animal itself objected and when
one or two had nearly kicked my head
| off began to suspect that some person
was causing their deviltry. Then, final
ly. I caught sight of man pol1ing a
mule with a sharp-pointed iron just as
] stopped 10 examine fetlock. This
happened two or three times, and tell
you my life was in danger.
"The next discovery made was that
of man poking 'hypo' into mule.
Then called halt, and ordered one Of
the drivers to take an animal far to one
side, and not have anyone come near.
For half an hour ] examined that mule,
and when had finished was ready for
the contractor. We didn't exchange
many words, but the result of what was
said appeared the day following, when
the man relinqnished his contract"
what was you discovered" the re-
porter for the Post-Dispatch asked.
"I discovered" replied DR.. Ferrell,
"that every one Of those mules, and
there We're several hundred of them,
was old enough to keel over and die of
antiquity. But they had been under
going treatment. For month or more
the beasts had been treated to hypo-
dermic injections of fluid especially
prepared for the purpose. and which
contained some arsenic. 1t caused
them to be temporarily young again,
filled them out and gave their coats a
sleek appearance and made their eyes
glisten.
81 suspected the mules had been
doped after had examined that animal
ten minutes, but I was puzzled when
opened the mouth. for the teeth indi-
Gated three-year-old. It was some
time before caught on. and when did
I marveled at the neatness of the work
Those teeth had not only been sawed to
the right length, but had been rounded
with file. Then again I was puzzled
There are little black spots around the
lower part of an old mules teeth that
are missing on more youthful animals
| looked for these and could not find
them, but as l passed my finger over
where they should be I felt slight in
dentaltions, and at once realized thai
nitric acid had been used to burn the
marks away. That settled the bust
ness."-St. Louis Post-Dispatch.