“ARISTOCRATIC” SPORTS IN ENGLAND.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1127, 19 August 1882, Page 2

“ARISTOCRATIC” SPORTS IN ENGLAND.

♦. At the Steyning Petty Sessions, five students—Lord Herbert Vane-Tem-pest, the Hon. R. C. Hill, the Hon. William Lambton, Mr Mortimer Drummond, and Mr J. A. Phillips — preparing for the army at the establishment of the Rev. Mr Faithfull, at Storrington, were charged, at the instance of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with ill-treating and torturing a cat, at Storrington, on April 15th. The defendants, it was alleged, while in the village of Storrington on the day in question with several dogs, saw a cat enter a six-inch drain running under the carriage way of a gentleman’s house. One of the defendants at once proposed to send one of the dogs into the drain, but the latter being too small, it was next suggested to burn the animal out. Some material having been procured for the purpose, it was ignited, and had the effect of driving the cat out. The proceedings of the defendants had been witnessed by a police-constable from a distance, and then he came forward, and the defendants at once ran away. In the meantime the dogs had seized thp cat and worried it to death. On the ease being reported to the Society, an officer went to Mr Faithfull's establishment, and that gentleman, on the part of the defendants, wrote to the secretary of the Society, stating that they wore unaware that the animal in the draiq was a cat, enclosed a chpque for £l5 towards tfle fund? of the Society, and had also sent their dogs away. The answer to the letter was that tho matter would have to be laid before the committee, and the result was that the case was proceeded with The defence put forward was that the defendants were unaware that the animal hunted was a ent, and the magistrate, after consideration, dismissed the case. Tho cheque, whieh was produced in evidence, was, at the conclusion of the case, returned in open court by the secretary to the defendants' counsel.