CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9912, 29 July 1910, Page 3

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

<i HUNGRY HORSES AND SALUTARY FINES.

ECONOMY PROVES EXPENSIVE

Henry Box, sen., who until recently ran a coach service between Okristchureh and Belfast, appeared before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this morning., and was convicted on two -charges of cruelty to horses, and-, fined £l2, with £1 Is costs.

For f-orne considerable time the Canterbury Society for the Prevention cf Cruelty to Animals has been endeavouring to secure sufficient- evidence to enable it to prosecute Box with success, and he was charged this morning with having during the month of May cruelly ill-treated eight horses by omitting to supply them with proper and .sufficient food. The prosecution was conducted by .Station-Sergeant Johnson, and Mr Hunt appeared for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty.

Alexander Johnson. Government Veterinarian, stated that- on July 10 he had visited defendant's stables in Montreal .Street, accompanied by the defendant, a police constable and the inspector of the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. There were nine horses in the stables, and among them a grey mare and a. grey gelding were in very poor condition. A chestnut mare was "in a deplorable condition, hardly able to walk, and reduced to skin and bone. A brown gelding, a bay maro-and a pony were in somewhat bettor condition, though they were also in a very poor stateAs n« had. not detected any disease, lie had formed the opinion that the horses, had been insufficiently supplied with food, probably irregularly fed and watered, and, in his opinion, to keep horses in such a condition was to cause tliejn unnecessary suffering, and was an act of cruelty. To Mr Hunt, the witness said that the defendant ' had stated that the chestnut mare had just- been returned to him. There was seine oats and chaff in-front of the horses at the time of»i:i.-; visit, and ho also saw sonic very unnutritious hay. He saw no signs that influenza, had run through the stable, and even if tho horses had suffered from an attack of the disease, they would not have been reduced to the condition in which they appeared. William Hall Zoueh, inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said that when lie sa.w_ the horses ou July 19 they wero all in a deplorable condition, with the exception cf the pony, which was not quite so bad. Two of the horses were taken to the Rink Stables. One of them, a brown gelding, had a severe wound of long standing' on its back, and the other, a bay mare, was' also in very low condition. Subsequently, both of them had to be shot, one by the direction of a veterinary surgeon called in by the defendant." During the nine years that he had been inspector for the Canterbury Society, there had been continual omplaint regarding the manner in wJiich Box had treated, his horses.

Constable Charles Harvey. Station Sergeant Johnston and Sa.nuel Finlay also gave evidence in support of the previous witnesses' testimony. For the defence, Henry Box said that he had given rip the coach service about nine weeks previously. One of the horses had a growth on its back, and when it caught influenza., about three mouths previously, the disease had gone right through the stables. He declared that lie had supplied the horses with sufficient food in the shape of hay and chaff. I'r.rlher evidence in defence was given by Herbert M'Donald, Harold Jones, William Brown, a veterinary surgeon, and Clifford Boyce.

Tiio Magistrate said that the defendant must be convicted. The horses might have had influenza, but according to the evidence they must have recovered from it about a fortnight, and they showed no signs of recovering condition. He considered tho ease a very bad one. Tho defendant would be fined £lO and costs. £3 16s.

A .second charge was made againstthe defendant- Box that between July 6 and 8, at Itapaki, he had cruelly illtreated a grey mare by omitting to provide it with proper and sufficient food and shelter- The defendant pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given that on the afternoon of July 6 the defendant turned an old emaciated marc into a paddock at Itapaki, and left it there. On the following morning it was on the ground and unable, to rise, and on July S Constable Fitzgerald, of Lyttelton, shotit.

Mr Hunt submitted that no offence lircl been proved, as it was admitted that there was plenty of food and shelter in the paddock. The Magistrate replied that he_ did not consider the owner had fulfilled his duty to provide "proper and sufficient fo'ed-and shelter." by turning an old, emanated animal into ti paddeck in the middle of winter. Mr Hunt said he would not call any evidence, and the Magistrate imposed a lino of lib and costs, Jo's.

Every failure teaches a man something if he will learn.—Charles Dickens.