CREMATING A RAT.
CHARGE OF CRUELTY FAILS.
,An allegation of cruelty to a rat was brought by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals against two young 1 men in the Police Court yesterday. Defendants were Edward Percival Stafford and Lawrence Culpan (Mr. Anderson). Mr. Matthews, who appeared for the society, said he had advised the committee not to proceed with the action but a special Meeting decided to press the information. Three ladies stated that on a recent Sunday from a front window of a house in Surrey Street they saw Stafford carry a rat in a cage into the road. He brought out a bottle of kerosene and poured the contents over the animal, then returned to the garage. Culpan struck a match and set fire- to the rat, which squealed with Pain and ran into the cage. The flames from its fur shot about 3ft. into the air. The witnesses were shocked at the occurrence, and one of them stated that she felt unwell for the remainder of the day. ■Defendants, as well as other witnesses, maintained that the rat was hit on the head with a tyre lever before the match w as applied and made no movement or sound whatever. The season for cremating the animal was that it appeared diseaseinfected. The information was dismissed.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18357, 24 March 1923, Page 11
Word Count
221CREMATING A RAT. New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18357, 24 March 1923, Page 11
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