CATS AS FOOD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3304, 30 April 1885, Page 3

CATS AS FOOD.

At the Gateshead County Police Court, on a recent date, Ann Little was charged with having stolen a gamecock, the property of Thomas McKie, at High Felling. Superintendent Harrison asked for a remand, as the prisoner was only apprehended the previous day, and thoro were other charges against her. The remand was granted; It is said that the prisoner has given herself up to intemperate habits of late. Further particulars show that Sergeant Tiller went to the prisoner's house to take her into custody on a charge 'of having stolen a gamecock, and he searched the house. He found the remains of cats' paws, parts of legs, etc., buried m the ashes of the midden. He also found a large cat, partly disembowelled, buried m some sand m the hen-house. Immediately on this becoming known there wa3 considerable anxiety, because recently a large number of persons had obtained " Scotch hares," from the same woman, and very naturally they had serious misgivings. Some, indeed, who had enjoyed the monopoly of cheap Scotch hares, and had, as they thought, cutely kept secret the source of supply, felt very indignant. Ono good womau was rather astonished on making soup to find it very thin, but was assured by a knowing neighbor that it was because the hares were "Scotch," and that the nationality of the animals, she explained, made the soup thin and watery, instead of thick and brown, as m the case of ordinary hares. Numbers of people a^e able to identify the skins of the miflsing pets, and about fifty persons have anxiously inquired at the police station after their cats. As many as fifteen persons have been seen digging m one garden for cat skins. On a Saturday night a woman heard her favorite " Tom " crying out m distress, and on going out saw the " haredealer " running away with it. The animal, however, returned later bearing marks of ill-treatment. On New Year's night a man was m his garden, when a paper containing eight catskins was thrown over the fence. He at once rushed out, and saw a woman running away, but was unable to identify her. It is believed to have been the practice of the woman to coax cats to her and then capture and slaughter them. As she was left alone m the house all day, as a rule, she would have ample opportunities of carrying on. her trado, her operations having been principally pet-

formed m the cellar kitchen. When charged with the offence she admitted having poisoned a few cats, but denied selling any at all.