DOGS’S FLESH FOR FOOD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 508, 12 January 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

DOGS’S FLESH FOR FOOD.

There was a strange disclosure made at the London Guildhall lately. A journeyman butcher was charged with obtaining 3s. from Edward Elliott, a butcher, of Cheddington, Buckingham, by false pretences. A butcher, residing at Cheddington, in Buckinghamshire, had a large retriever dog, which, being of a savage disposition, so worried his pigs as to compel him to get rid of it. He accordingly directed the prisoner, Gadsden, who wo’kcd for him at the time, to kill it and bring him the skin, which was done. Gadsden, however, it appears, did more than this, for he dressed the carcase in such a way as effectually to disguise it, and then went to Air. Elliott, who is a butcher, carrying on business in another part of Cheddington and sold it to him as a goat for 3s. It is said that Air. tliiott asked to see the skin and the head, but the prisoner made the excuse that the former had gone to bo dressed and the latter had been given to the dogs to eat. Elliott, satisfied with the explanation, bought the carcase, and sold it to another butcher,, but this time it went under the title of lamb, Q nd, as such, part was sold to the public and part kept by the last mentioned butcher for himself and family The butcher, on eating it. noticed that the flavor was vciy peculiar, and the customers complained of the extraordinary character of the meat, and in a short time so much interest was excited in the matter that inquiries were made and a rumour was circulated that a dog had been killed, and that it was the flesh of this animal that troubled the people of Cheddington. In order to test the matter, some of the villagers, bel’eving in the old adage that dogs will not eat dog’s flesh, offered some of the meat in question to some ofthe canine race, and strangely enough the dogs refused to touch it. Alcanwhiie the butcher and his family, who had eaten part of the carcase, began to fell very unwell, and Elliott was applied to for an explanation. He in turn sent for Gadsden, who stoutly denied that the flesh was anything hut a goat; but this did not satisfy the public, for further inquiries were instituted, when the conduct ofthe prisoner was made clear. An application was made to the magistrates at Dunstable for a warrant against theprisoncr, but before he could he arrested he absconded, but was afterwards captured in London, lie was handed over to the local authorities for trial.