THE HORSE STABBING CASES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10265, 7 February 1899, Page 4

THE HORSE STABBING CASES.

The community has again been horrified at the news of the re-appearance of the " horse fiend" and so far all efforts to trace his identity have been fruitless, in spite of plans which deserved to command. success. The enterprise of the members of the Horse Protection Society in securing, at their own cost, the services of a black tracker from Australia, and the skill with -which they concealed his presence in Christchurch until he was required to exercise his peculiar powers, merit all praise, and we can only regret that from causes over which neither the Society or the tracker had control they were not crowned with success. For the failure of the plan we are afraid the owners of the "horse-fiend's" latest victims are to some extent responsible. In no case does it appear that information was at once given to the police'when it was found the scoundrel had heen at work again, and if the two or three hours which wexe allowed to elapse before this was done had been saved, the perpetrator of these shocking outrages might now be in gaol. The detectives and the police, to say nothing of the tracker, would have reached the different spots where the horses were killed before crowds of neighbours and sightseers had tramped round the animals and destroyed the criminal's tracks. As it was, the ground wascovered with a maze of footprints by the time the police got there, and the most expert tracker in the world would have been nonplussed. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon that in the event of a repetition of these outrages—and the experience of the past five years gives us little reason to hope that they are at an end—they should at once notify the police and until the arrival of the latter should take the utmost care to prevent a crowd of people walking about in the paddock or wherever the horse may be lying.

So far,, it will be admitted, the members of the Horse Protection Society have not spared expense in their efforts to detect the perpetrator of these horrible deeds. We learn, however, that they do not feel inclined to go to the cost of keeping the black tracker here any longer. Theirs is not the only responsibility in the matter; the Government cannot divest themselves of a large share in it. As the Society has had the expense of bringing the black tracker to Christehurch and keeping him here for some months, we think the Minister of Justice might seriously consider the advisableness of keeping, him for some time longer, on. the chance that he would have a better opportunity than he had on Sunday of following up the"horse-fiends trail. We certainly think it is the imperative duty of the Government to. increase tbe reward now being offered for such informa-

tion as will lead to the arrest and conviction of the wretch who has for so long . defied justice. At pr-»*">- ■'•- -= reward , stands at £500, of which : ialr is ud .red by j the Horse Protection Soci ?ty and half by ; the Government. We think the Govern- j ment should raise it at once to £1000. j This case stands on a different footing to many others in which, wrongly as we think, people beg for and depend upon . Government assistance instead of relying Upon their own exertions. We are not living in a community which is '' run " by a Vigilance Committee assisted by Judge Lynch, but in one in which we arc all taxed to provide, among other things, some measure of protection for ourselves against wrongdoers. Police patrol our streets day aud night to preserve order and to protect property, and if this service is well performed we are not inclined to grumble at the cost. In any case we have to pay, and we therefore want to get what/we pay for—protection for life and property, including horses. Nobody, of course, pretends that every dark lane and every paddock in and around the Christchurch district can be policed. We therefore suggest that the Government should call in the assistance of the public, by offering a reward of such an amount as is calculated, to induce any one wifch'i suspicions as to the identity of the "horse- j fiend" to come forward and tell the autho- ; ritios all he knows. The present position • of affairs is growing insupportable. \