BOX'S BRUTALITY.

NZ Truth, Issue 165, 15 August 1908, Page 6

BOX'S BRUTALITY.

Starves His Steeds and is Summoned.

Harry Boxy Christchurch coach proprietor, is always m trouble of some sort. When he isn't' rescuing a drag from the bailiffs he is dodging the Inspector of the Spci&ty: for ~ the Prevention of Oruelty to lAnimals, or he : is suffering some domestic bereavement, or figuring m. a Court case, lard the rigor dtahard whiter, is reflected m the starved condition of<his horses. As an appalling illustration of human misery £nd brutal luck, without apparent , cause, Box takes the- biscuits-he wojuld' take* a whole factory of them if they were availt able, r The sordid .spectacle of a maa' beUieving that •all-comer's; are against / him. and jivith.-his- hands uplifted against, every -man is presented, daily to an interested "commUmty. and 'the futility :and absurd-, ftty of the whole miserable business gets on the people's . nerye N s.- ' : The latest -trouble was a prosecution oi ißox by. Inspector Zouch lor failing to furnish six -horses with,- proper and sufliciertf food for seven weeks prior to Aug-ust'?.:-The.;animals had. been, under the eye of the. Inspector for some .considerable; Ttime, and Box promised to take the worst of them off the roads. . The tale told (by Zouch and witnesses named ;Tb.omas Field and Robert ; D'Uncart v. „ : ■/ L WAS HO'RRIEYINQ IN THE EX* TREMB.

ffhe three visited itheßox, establishment , on August {2 'and founda*umTjer % of hbrfees m tfte^state. VTherej^ were originally i thirteen, but;' on the 3rd -nine were visible, fend with the exception ijof two ■belonging (to. Box, junior, were practically : skin and bone. One animal taken out of the stable (tottered and fell. It faied that night. fThereiWas not a 'particle of feed about .the' premises ; one horse was observed eating dung, at . the maahrre heap, ; gum. leaves .•were found m the loose-boxes ; the boxes itbemselves m some cases had "been eaten right down. .There was not a vestige of chaff, and young Box said there was none on the premises. The <tropp,ings of the. Worses were black as tbough from star-; ; vatipn, , although grass> feeding mighty be 'Tespbrisrble. -'Zouch said he thad never seen horses m such a 'disgraceful state m the city. There was sin abundance of feed. dh:the ib,oxes on. the % sarrae afternoon. These particulars were elicited by Solicitor Kitchener, wiO' bears na-'physical resemblance to the Geneiral of -the{ same name, but emulated his sfeategy when he tried to outline the evidence before it* was given. The 4. P. Bench said it\would ( much rather liear the story from "the witnesses, whereupon the ingenious counsel remarked that the facts wouldn't come out so well .from Ins witnesses. Oue hears sbme refreshing m Court, sometimes. v The task of defending was ; placed m Lawyer Jim Cassidy's hands exactly *^u:ec minutes before the -case .was called, and he was , considerably - handicapped m ■onsequence. • Box explained that the horns were engaged on the road between Bflfast and ChristchurclL, which' was knowa ks a horse killer. . - : ■'■■...

FIVE HORSES HAD' DROPPED DEAD on the road within a week, as Recorded In the daily press. There was about a loot of shingle on the thoroughfare for about a distance of three miles, arid Inspector; Zouch himself had (at Box's re* quest) presented a petition to ttfe , local body to have the metal blinded with spoil. Box attributed, the poor cohdiition of the animals to the hard work Von Ithe road to Belfast, and the fact that Ithey were not regularly groomed,. They iwere well fed. Box had. produced . a bag of chaff before- the Inspector left' on the becasion of his ' last visit. (The official (acknowledged this to be correct.) Andrew Brooknian (.market garfiener), Q«orge Home (caririei;)/ and Harry Box, Junior (Dr. Diamond's groom), gave evidence to the effect' that the animate were regularly fpd and attributed their ■•> condi,tion to oVeVwork. s '; ' /

Justices Gapes-- and B'orester weren't satisfied, and imposed a fine of 4fts and costs. They 'declined to giye an- carder for ftble destruction of the six animals.)