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106
that the cow was apparently in excellent condition prior to
slaughter, that the price paid was the full value of a sound cow,
and that it was not until after the animal had been killed and
opened that there was any disclosure of disease, and that the
owner would have surrendered the carcase for condemnation if
it had not been seized. His Worship, the Stipendiary Magistrate,
in hearing the case exercised great patience and astuteness
in eliciting the facts, his questions to witnesses on both sides
proving how anxious he was to administer justice, and all in
Court (except perhaps the defendant) agreed that his decision
was a just one, the maximum penalty and costs being inflicted.
The second seizure comprised the whole carcase of a
tuberculous cow (excepting the offal which had been removed)
and several parts of a second carcase. This seizure was
effected front an old slaughter-house which had not been used
for killing for some time, but had been brought into requisition
to meet the urgent need of a cattle dealer, who had been stopped
from killing "wasters" in an adjoining district. Five aged
cows were brought to this slaughter-house one morning and
killed, the offal removed, and the carcases left to hang. The
slaughter-house was carefully locked, but observation had been
kept on the cows when grazing in a meadow, and the morning
they were missed, all the private slaughter-houses were visited,
and at mid-day they were located, although it neccessitated
entering the slaughter-house through a fanlight (which had
been left open) to effect a seizure. The whole five carcases
were carefully examined by a Veterinary Surgeon and the
Medical Officer of Health. It was considered advisable to seize
one whole carcase and several parts of a second carcase upon
which tubercular lesions had been discovered. These parcels
were subsequently submitted to one of His Majesty's Justices
of the Peace, condemned and ordered to be destroyed. The
person representing himself as the owner was fined £20 and
costs.
The result of these two cases is most gratifying and has
acted as a deterrent, for the defendant in the second action has
not to our knowledge visited the Borough since with the
object of killing any worn-out cows.