CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5034, 26 October 1881, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

TUBSDIY, 0010888 25. BHOOKTsa Cbtjbitx to a Hobsb.—On the 17th of Ootober a man named George Hawkins was arrested on a charge of cruelly illusing a horse. He was found driving the animal in an empty dray in Montreal street, and was brought np at the Court on the following day. The hone waa brought up for the magistrate's inspection, and was in a pitiable condition. Its shoulders were completely raw where the lower part of th n collar had been; its legs were swollen at the hooks to nearly twice their normal size, it had several wounds on the legs as if from blows, and it appeared to be in a state of starvation, its bones nearly protruding through the ekin. The man said he had bought it for a small sum from someone whom he did not know at Tai Tapu, and the case was remanded, the police being instructed to find out where he had got the hone. The accused was again brought up this day, together with a man named James Brown, who was charged jointly with Hawkins for the offence against the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act The horse was again produced, and, though it had been carefully tended in the interval, did not seem to be much improved in condition, being evidently in a high state of founder fever. B. J. Fleming, a farmer, deposed that about September 25th last, prisoner Brown asked him fer the loan of a horse. Witness declined, but told him that if the old horse, then in a paddock, and now outaide the Court, was of any use to him, he could take it as a gift. Brown accordingly took it away. The beast had been foundered, bnt had been running in a grass paddock for two years. It was in pretty fair condition, and there was not a chafe then on it. Constable Wetherly, stationed at Lincoln, deposed that he saw Hawkins with the hone at a blacksmith's shop on October 13th. It had sore shoulders, but the extent of the sores was concealed by the collar. It certainly was not fit for work. He asked Hawkins what he wns going to do with it ; Hawkins said he wee going to have it shod. Witness warned him not to work the horse, in its then state, on any account. He knew prisoners ; they were iquatters on the paddock of an absentee, at Shand's track. They had some sort of a dug-out or whare, eaoh of them, which they lived in. They made a living by buying straw, &o. t from farmers, and disposing of it in town. Eobt. McFherson, soda water manufacturer, stated ; that prisoners brought him a load of straw on I the morning of the day of Hawkins' arrest. The horse outside the Court drew it. After discharging the straw they went away, leaving the horse and dray in the yard. Afterwards he made Hawkins take it i away, and it was left standing in the street till about five in the afternoon. Hawkins and Brown then took it away. Th>» hone had nothing to eat all day and seemed completely empty. Witness called the attention of Hawkins to the horse, whieb. was vomiting dear liquid, and told him he ought to give it something to eat. Hawkins replied that it was all right, it had had plenty of feed. The prisoner Brown went into the witness box and swore that be had given the bone to Hawkins. He had before that used it to draw a little gorse from one paddock to another, which had galled it* shoulders. Hβ did not know that Hawkins was going to bring in the straw, although he had helped to load it up. The Magistrate said he did not believe a word of this story. The men were evidently partners, and Brown knew as much about this transaction as the other. It seemed to him that be remembered Brown as being up for something like this before; did the poljpe know anything about that? Sergeant Hnghes and Constable Cullen then deposed that prisoner was convicted on November 24th, 1879, for having left two horses standing exposed to very bad weather for fourteen hours; and again on March 6th, 1880, for having left his hone without attendance. This animal fell into a ditch, full of water, and remained there all night; it received severe injuries and had to be shot. Hie Worship said those cases were sufficiently brutal, but the present instance was one of appalling cruelty. He should punish Brown to the full extent the Act permitted ; he would be sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labor, and, added he, " I only wish I had the power to order yoa to be flogged for your cowardly and brutal conduct." The other prisoner, Hawkins, not having anything worse than drunkenness recorded against him, would be imprisoned for three months with hard labor. The horse waa ordered to be destroyed, and the dray, which had been taken with the man, to be sold to defray the expenses connected with the action.