GROSS CRUELTY TO A HOUSE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3106, 31 January 1879, Page 1

GROSS CRUELTY TO A HOUSE.

At the Fitzroy Police Court on Thurs* day (before Messrs Showert and Marsdra, J's.P.), William M'Donald, cab driver, was charged under the 193 rd section of the Criminal Law and Practioe Statute with maliciously wounding a hone, the property of John Cook, cab proprietor, 91 Gore street, Fitzroy. Mr H. J. Wrixou prosecuted ai stand* ing counsel for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Mr John Edwards defended the prisoner. John Cook deposed—l am a eabproprietor, living at 91 Gore street, Ktiroy. The prisoner, William M'Donald, is known to me. I remember the 28th December last. He was in my employ lon that day at 9 o'clock. He took out a horse named " Dick." He said he bad a job to go to Brighton. It is a rule of the stable that each man has two horses for his day's work. When I went to bed at 12 o'clock he had not returned. I got up at 4 o'clock next morning, and found the horse in the stable, covered with dry blood; his head was tied closely down to the ring in the manger, so that he could not raise it up. I found the pitchfork (produced) in the stable; it was then in the same condition as it is now, the handle was broken and the prongs bent. I found the yard broom (produced) also in the stable; the handle was broken. A pick was also lying beside them. When I left the stable on the night of Christmas Day the prongs of the pitchfork were not bent, the handle was whole, and so was that of the yard broom. There were over .30 prods of the pitchfork on the horse's head, legs, and body. His body was bruised very much, as though he had been beaten with the handle of the fork. I sent a groom named William Home to the prisoner's lodgings to tell him to come over. This was between 7 o'clock and half- ' past 7. Prisoner came about 12 o'clock. I took the horse out of the stall, and pointing to it said," What do you mean by treating a poor dumb animal like that?" He at first denied it, but afterwards said " Yes, I did do it. I had a job to Brighton, and when I started back he jibbed, and I lost the job. I broke a new 7s 6d whip over him, aod when I got him home I did give it to the —— ." He said he bad broken the pitchfork and broom over him, and struck him with the pickhandle. He also said, " I had a mind to kill the —— —-." I said I had a mind to serve him the same, and ran at him, but he ran away and jumped the fence. I have my doubts as to whether he will out* live the treatment. Corroborative evidence was called. Mr Wrixqn, in summing up, submitted to the bench that a prtma /acie case bad been made, out, and requested them to commit the prisoner for trial. Mr Edwards reserved bit defence, and the prisoner waa committed to take his trial at the February sessions, bail being allowed in two sureties of £60 each, and himself in one of £100.—Australasian.