The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-13
THE DEATH OF HORSE.
Common Fate of Thousands That Are
Slaughtered for European Tables

Not only in Berlin, but in almost all
the great cities of Europe horse meat
is eaten by the lower classes There
are greater slaughter houses in Paris
which kill thousands of horses every
year. In Vienna more than $4,000 horses
and a number of donkeys are annually
killed, and Berlin eats horse meat by
the thousands of pounds every day.
and after killing, and every piece OF
meat must be stamped as healthful by
the inspectors
Have you ever seen a piece of horse
hesh2 It is redder than beef and looks
for all the world like venison and tastes
not unlike it. There are 200 butcher
shops in Paris which sell nothing else.
saw it sold side by side with beef in
the butcher shops in Switzerland, and
have no difficulty in finding horse meat
chops here. In Berlin the meat IS adj
vertised as horse meat. and there IS no
chance of having horse steak passed Off
upon you as venisOn or beef.
I have visited several OF the horse
slaughter houses. The first one was like
a big barnyard surrounded by low sta
bles and fenced in at one side with long
buildings of red brick At the right OF
the gate stood a group of butchers, thar
shirt sleeves rolled up above their ell
bows and their bare, brawny arms COW
cred with blood. Each butcher nae a
leather apron, we'll spattered, and look
ed altogether rather repulsive than 9TH
erwise. had permit to see the estao-
Hshment, and in addition gave small
fee to one of these men, so that every
thing was thrown open to me.
The first room we entered contained
the horses that had been killed that
morning. There were several score OF
them hung like beeves from the rafters,
with their heads downward. A splendid
bay horse which had just been killed
was being dressed on the floor, a white
horse WAS being skinned, and an in
spector was going over the various cuts
of those hung from the rafters ana
stamping them.
Leaving this room, was taken to an
other where they were killing As 1
watched them a magnificent black car
riage horse was brought in, worth, 1
was told, 100 marks. or $25. 1t sTas not
more than years old. and month or so
ago his value was perhaps $500. He had
slipped on the smooth streets few days
before, and had so injured himself that
he would be lame for life
The horse looked at me through his
soft beautiful eyes S he came in, and 1t
almost sicl1ened me to think of his
DEATH It was affecting to watch him as
the butchers dragged him on his TIRES
legs across the yard and it seemed a
sacrilege when they clipped his name
and forelock with a pair of sheep shears
preparatory to his killing, and more like
murder than anything else when the
deadly blow was struck.
AS the horse neared the door he
seemed to realize his approaching end
He smelled the blood upon the f1oor
His sensitive nOstrils quiVered and he
hung back. With a brutal blow from
his club the butcher drove him on, and
he finally stood there with his legs
quivering and trembling all over. Now
an apron of leather foot square was
hung over his eyes, leaving his fore
head bare. Then one of the butchers
pulled down his handsome head and an
other raised the sledge. the hammer Of
which was as big around as your wrist.