The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-05-21
. Protest Against
Cruelty to an Animal
Editor Islander:

which came before Justice Showers
last week.
More than a year ago. Ben Harri-
son borrowed a bull of H. L. Atkins,
and later demanded that Mr.. Atkins
should comesand get him. as he could
not handle Him. Mr.. Atkins did not
do so, naturally deciding that when
a man borrowed an article or an AMI
NAL it was his place to take it home
again.
Mr.. Harrison finally wrote to an
attorney to find out if he could com
pei Mr.. Atkins to take the animal
home. The attorney told him that
eff you have borrowed a bull the best
thing you can do is to take him
home" Then occurred the above
mentioned suit.
On Sunday, April 25th, Mr.. VIM.
Colwell, Mr.. Harrison's tenant. and
his hired man brought thu bull home.
When they came near the residence
of Mr.. Omer Freel they were dragging
the PROSTATE animal behind the wag-
on. His knees were torn open to the
bones, his sides and shoulders we're
torn and pumiced, the hair torn off
and the blood was oozing from the
bruised skin. as the result of being
dragged on the road. Mr.. and Mrs.
Freel went out and demonstrated with
the men, and during the talk Mr.. Col
well said that Mr.. Harrison told him
to take that bull home if he bad to
drag him all of the way. Mr.. Freel
tried to get the animal onto his feet,
and succeeded in doing SO. only by
assisting him, But he was scarcely
able to stand, and soon laid down
again. and they drove on without at
ten pting to get him up. and hauled
him as far as Mr.. Frechette's. Mr..
Freel then secured d stone boat and
they loaded the animal onto that
to bring him the rest of the way home.
The verdict Of the men who assem-
OAC0 ~ SCC GhC lC0ulU " 4hI.S OlWCl .
work was that the only thing to do
was to shoot the bull and end his
sufferings, which was accordingly
done. The names of these men are.
Messrs. T. W. Noble, Peter LaPlant,
James LaPlant. George Adkins, Mr..
Deal, H p. Hansen, Omer Freel. and
1T AlI-ir1 . Az %Lo -oor Iu.sool
beast was lying in front of Mr.. FIRE.
chette's place. others saw him. among
them being MI Myers, of East Sound,
Joe Verrier and Peter Frechette.
County Attorney Morris and Sheriff
Delaney were sent for and they saw
the dead body. They also examined
the road yer which the animal had
been dragged, and which showed
plainly the fact that they drove long
distances without stopping to try to
get him up. The distance which the
animal was dragged almost continu-
ously was about three fourths of a
mile, over rough. stony road.
At one large stone. the marks show
ed that they bad stuck, and pulled
n way and another in the effort to
force the PROSTATE beast over the
stone. which still, two weeks later,
bears traces of the struggle. On COM
plant being sworn out by Mr.. F. w.
Noble. Mr.. Colwell was summoned
to appear before Justice Showers, at
East Sound. on Saturday. May 9Th.
By the way. Mr.. Showers is a life
long friend of Mr.. Harrison and East
Sound people say that Mr.. Harrison
has been at Mr.. Showers home near
ly every day since this occurred.
By some means, unknown to those
VINO are not versed in legal matters,
the decision arrived at that there was
no cause for action against the accus-
ed parties. and we. the undersigned.
desire TO have it known that we are
not in sympathy with such a ~travesty
of justice, and we all afix our sigma
lures as proof of our condemnation of
oOah tAC dCtlOu " XuI. I1dIIlSOu anu
the men who acted as his agents, and
also of the injustice of acquitting
them.
q. Fl. Atkins. F. W. Noble. FL. P.
Walrath. G.. ". Woodland, Peter La
plant. j. G. Killebrew. James LapIant,
Preston Killebrew, Nurcies Iotte. j.
+. Sanders, j. L. Harris, W. Hogan,
w. Van Bogaert. 81. Il. Atkins. T..
d. Hoult. Guy Mcconnell. H. p.
Hansen, H. NJ. Deal. Joe Verrier, W.
W. Bostian. @. j. Van Eaton, 1. Vet
ter, W. o. Nichols, Joseph verrier.
q. W. FreeI. F. Pinneo. Fred Krum-
diack, W. ]. Court, NJ. L. Kimple,
j. O. Myers. VIM. Larlant.