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The Western Gazette. Friday 31 Jul 1908
Page 11 Column 5
LANGPORT PETTY SESSIONS.
MONDAY. - Before Mr. E. W. VALENTINE (chairman), Messrs. F. MEADE, R. ALFORD, H. C. PRICE, W. ROWE, C. L. EASTLAKE, and J. T. KNIGHT.
CRUELTY TO A MARE. - Wm. Edward CLASSEY, of Pitney, Somerton, farmer, was summoned by John W. TOMLINSON, Inspector of the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for cruelty to a mare by working it in an unfit state at Langport. - Mr. H. W. CHAPMAN, of Bridgwater, appeared for defendant, who pleaded not guilty. - P.S. EDWARDS deposed that whilst at Langport East Railway Station, in company with Supt. ATTWOOD, he saw defendant driving a chestnut mare attached to a cart in the road leading to the station. The horse appeared lame, and on their examining it they found it to be very lame on the near front foot. It rested its foot, and appeared to be in great pain. Defendant said he did not know it was lame before it started. He said the horse did not belong to him, but to the Official Receiver, and he had the use of it till the sale. - Mr. CHAPMAN explained that defendant had at that time just been made a bankrupt. - By Inspector TOMLINSON: When witness visited the farm defendant admitted that the horse was lame. - By Mr. CHAPMAN: Defendant had been cautioned before, but not with respect to this this [sic] animal. - Superintendent ATTWOOD, who corroborated, said that he had no doubt that the mare was in great pain. - Inspector TOMLINSON gave evidence as to visiting defendant's farm at Pitney and examining the mare. It was in good bodily condition, but very lame in the near fore-leg. The back flexor tendons were strained, swollen, and very hot, and no doubt the animal was in pain. The appearance of the leg showed that the injury had been there some time, and defendant, in conversation, said that “she had gone 'groggy” on the near fore leg for some time.” - Cross-examined: There was a slight malformation of the fetlock, but not sufficient to throw it over. He did not examine the animal for corns. - Mr. CHAPMAN, for the defence, submitted that defendant had no knowledge of the lameness. He had not worked the mare for some time previously to driving into Langport. Instead of turning to go to Langport East, the mare tried to go on to Langport, and it was just possible that in turning sharply ricked herself, and this was the cause of the swelling of the tendons. - Defendant, on oath, said that the cause of the lameness was a corn. The enlargement had been in the joint since she was a foal. - Cross-examined by Mr. TOMLINSON: The Superintendent did not advise him to take the mare out, and he drove her home after the police stopped him. - Charles R. FITCH[?], of Somerton, who said he was the owner of the mare, said that he found that the mare had very bad corns, which he cut out. He did not examine the tendons. He knew something of a horse, as he was “born on a horse's back or next door to it.” He bough the horse for £4. - Cross-examined by Mr. TOMLINSON: He did tell the Superintendent that the mare had thickened tendons and he was going to blister her. When he bought the mare he did not examine her, as he thought, considering the price, it was hardly worth it. (Laughter.) - The Bench decided to convict, and fined defendant 10s and costs, £1 in all.
HIGHWAY CASES. - Richard DARBY, of Burrow Hill, farmer, was summoned for driving without a light at Hambridge. - P.C. PERKINS gave evidence. - Mr. DARBY said that this being a first offence perhaps their Worships would deal with him under that Act. (Laughter.) - He was ordered to pay the costs. 2s 6d. - James BRYANT, of Long Sutton, was summoned for allowing a mare to stray at Long Sutton. - P.C. EDWARDS proved the case, and defendant, who denied knowledge of the mare being loose, was fined 2s 6d and costs, 7s 6d in all. -Edward TROTT, of Langport Westover, packer, was summoned for allowing a dog to be on the highway without a collar with the owner's name thereon. - P.C. CULLIFORD gave evidence. - Fined 10s and costs 15s in all. -- Frederick HEWITT, of Newton, Langport, shoemaker, for not keeping a dog under control at 10.45 p.m., was upon the evidence of P.C. CULLIFORD, ordered to pay the costs of the summons, 2s 6d.
FAMILY TROUBLES AT LAMBROOK. - Joseph WALDEN, of East Lambrook, pleaded not guilty to a summons charging him with assaulting James OATEN, at East Lambrook – Complainant, a Kingsbury labourer, said defendant was his father-in-law, and he had been kept from his wife by him three years and three months. There had been other cases in other courts. Asked by the Bench to cut his story short complainant went on to say that whilst concealed in a ditch at East Lambrook, where he was watching his wife, WALDEN came and called him a “snake in the grass,” and asked him what he was doing there. Witness got out of the ditch and defendant got hold of him by the scruff of the neck, and forced him through a gate, and when out on the road pushed him down again. Two men came up the road, and defendant asked them to set his dog at witness. He also said, “If you three women will get some stinging nettles and give him a good stinging up, I'll hold him.” - Defendant said that the ditch in which complainant was concealed was behind his house, and he had heard that complainant was in the habit of watching defendant's house. Witness found him there, and remonstrated with him for listening to what went on. Complainant married his daughter, who was at that time in the house. There was no separation order between complainant and his wife. - Complainant: It is only him to keep us apart. - The Bench stopped the case, and bound both complainant and defendant over in the sum of £10 to keep the peace towards each other “and all His Majesty's liege subjects,” each to pay their costs. - Complainant's wife, at the conclusion of the Court, applied for a separation order against her husband, but was advised to take the usual course.
NON-ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL. - James BARTLETT, of White Hill, Huish Episcopi, was summoned for not sending a child to school, was fined 5s. - Mr. F. MEADE did not adjudicate, being a member of the Education Authority.
<NOTES: Joseph WALDEN, married Harriett RUSSELL
James OATEN son of William OATEN and Mary Ann TAYLOR, married Martha Ellen WALDEN>