Charge of Cruelty to a Horse

Gisborne Times, 8 December 1906, Page 3

Charge of Cruelty to a Horse

The hearing of a chargo preferred against Michaol Mackoy by tho police for ill-treating a horse on tho loth November occupied Mr .Barton, S.M., tho greater part of yesterday morning According to tho witness for the police, tho unfortuuato animal was cruelly and shamefully used, having about 150 wounds on its flanks and neck, supposed to bo caused by being jabbod with a penknife. I).domi nr. 6 eiecSod to bo dealt with smumirily, and was represented by Mr Stork, who plamW not guilty. Sergeant Williams oouduuted tho case on behalf of She pohoo. Walter Murray Cunningham, farm manng'r, living on Bvkoc road, remembered tho 15th November. Witness saw a horse near his place without saddle or bridle on that day ; tho horse was loose and wilu. os norood it was in a very exhausted condition ; thorn wore punctures »i) it made by a knife, nbout 150 in number on both flank'', and on one side of tbs neck oi tho animal ; the wounds worn bleeding freely when witness saw them ; 5 tic to was blond on tho grass ; judging by the saddle marks on tho horse, is having been raining, witness was euro that the saddle had net been removed more than two hours ; with another gentleman witness took tho horso and baited tho wounds ; on Sunday following doiondaui oauuu and asked wiinoss if ho had anon, a Laor; o, describing the horse in question ; witness a an! " yes ” ; defendant aaid, “ where is it ?" ; witness replied it was quits safe in mo pollen camp ; defendant asked vritoc: 1 what was wrong wish it, and witness told him ; defendant said ho wished to iaha »ho horse away, and witness asked di.feud.aut if ho was tho owner, cad defeadaus replied “ no,” and witness sold defendant he oouid not have she horoa sol too owner had seen it; defendant asked io sau tho hors - , and witness showed it to him ; on seeing tha wounds, defendant said they mus-j nave been infl’oled when ;bo horse came on witness’ place ; witness said the thing was propostorous ! defan. dant Isff, sayiog ho would biiog tho owner or the horse. By Mr Stock: Witnoss did not sco defondant riding tho horse, and did not know who loft tho horso at Iris placo, Witness found tho house about live o’clock; tho wounds were midway between'tho kuoe pad of tho saddle aud flank ; a man named O’JRourke came and took tho horso away on Monday; witnoss told O'itourko as he told tho Court about tho horse’s condition; O’Bourko looked at tho horso and did not tell witness that ho could not see the wounds, witness saw

no signs cf mud fever on the horse ; Mr .Brooke, the engineer, came to witness’ place on the loth and asked if witness had been pig-hunting, as ho saw tho horse in witness’ paddock with blood on it, By Sergeant Williams: Nono of tho wounds were under tho saddle, but could bo inflicted by anyono sitting in the saddle.

Arthur Mortleman, farmer, Makauri, remembered seeing a horse in Mr Cun< ningham’s paddock on the morning of tbe 16th; there were a number of punctures on the horse, which looked as if they wore made with a knife ; the side of the horso was a mass of wounds, and tho neck the same; there were no marks underneath the saddle; the wounds near saddle would not be caused by a spur; witness saw no indications of fever on the horso. Constablo Doyle, stationed at To Karaka, stated that on 2Sth of last month, witness saw a chestnut mare in Mr Bridge’s paddock, at the Motu ; there was a wound on the oil side behind where saddle flap rests; it was about sis inches long and three inches deep, and appeared as if the hair had recently come off; there was also a bare patch on the opposite side, and another on tho off sido of the neck, about three or four inches long, and an inch and a half wide; none of those wounds could be caused by a spur, they appeared to be indicted by a sharp instrument in the rider’s hands; O’Bourko was working on Bridge’s place and witness saw him, witness saw defendant at Ormond on 80th and asked him about tho horso ; defendant said he had left the horse there as it knocked up with him on loth. Witness told tlsisudam ttse condition oi (he horse; defendant told witness tbe horse had no sotoa on it when he left Otmniogham’s; defendant, in reply so a question, told witness as saw nothirg the masier wish the horse when he went io claim it on the Sunday; witness described she sores, and defendant said ho knew nothing about them ; defendant said ha could not say the time ha left the horse at Cunningham's, as hs had no watch; he said ho lift the Motu ufier the stare closed on Tnursdisy at 1 o’clock ; witness Sold defendant the horse was foaud at 5 o’clock; is would Sake about two hourd to tide from the Mom to Cunningham's, the distance besrg nine miies. By Mr Sjock : A horse should do the disiuuca in two or three hours easily.

Mi Stock B.iid Shore was no evidence ihai defendant had ill treated the horse,

Michael Mackey, defendant, stated ho had bariowed a horse from O'Rourke on she 14sh ; witness rode it to She Mota on the 14th, and rode back With O'Routko as far as she camp, three miiea from Con* ningham’s; deiendant cams on alone to Cunningham's, and did not ill-treat the horse or stab it with a pooket knife; he did not oarry a pooket knife; defendant left the horse at Cunningham's, as it was knocked up ; he did not notice any wounds then; defendant returned to Cunningham’s on Sanday and saw the horse ; there were sores on the animal as if the soabs were ooming off; the sores were dry, and did not look to defendant a 3 if they were wounds, Alexander O’Rourke, labor, owner of the animal, said he had possessed the horse about three weeks. Witness had obtained the horse from hi 3 brother; the horse had knocked up on several ooaasions. The horse had mud fever, and was covered with soabs, Witness left Motu wish defendant at one o’clock on tho 15th No vember when tho ebop was olosiug. Witness rode about six or seven miles with defendant. Witness never saw defendant illitreat his horse. Tney were about two hours doing Biz miles, the road being bad, Witness claimed the horse, and Cunningham told witness that the horse had been pioked up with knifo stabs all over it. The horse was no different than before, there being no wounds, but it had soabs all over. Witness did not consider defendant had ill-treated the horse.

Hie Worship said that there was no doubt that tbo animal was oruolly illtreated by someone, os he believed the evidence of Mr Cunningham. There was only suspicion in this ease, however, so far as defendant was concerned, and the information against him would be dismissed. If the police could find who ill-treated the poor horse ho would impose a very severe penally.