114 
VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
elusion that it was a mere scratch, and not a serious injury, not 
impeding the action of the leg, nor depreciating the value of the horse, 
and not interfering with the horse’s capability of working, if required. 
This concluded the medical or surgical evidence for the defendant 
The jury returned a verdict for the defendant, and thus ended a trial 
which lasted from 11 o’clock in the morning till 8 at night, occupying 
nine hours; and in which thirty-three witnesses were examined. 
The Judge said he should think the jury wished for no summing up, 
but if they did he would do so in full; yet, as it would take him two 
hours, by their consent he would notice only such particular parts as 
required observance from himself. 
This statement is from recollection. John Kent. 
Bristol; Dec. 1 3th, 1858 
ALLEGED CRUELTY TO A PONY. 
Prosecution by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty 
to Animals. 
Extracted from the ’Manchester Times’ 
The case of alleged cruelty to a pony, which has formed the subject 
of some correspondence in our columns, was inquired into at the City 
Police Court, September 14th, 1858, before C. J. S. Walker and William 
Ross, Esqrs. 
Mr. May hew, of Wigan, instructed by the Royal Society for the 
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, appeared for the prosecution; and 
Mr. R. B. B. Cobbett, of Manchester, for the defendant. 
Mr. Mayhew said, the information was laid by George Chas. Smith, 
one of the officers of the society, against John Hindie, warehouseman, 
for having, on Saturday, the 14th of August, cruelly over-driven-a 
pony. It seemed that about five minutes past four o’clock on the morn¬ 
ing of that day defendant was seen to leave the Boar’s Head, Hyde’s 
Cross, in what was called a trotting gig-trap, used by sporting men. 
He proceeded to Liverpool and returned to Manchester about half-past 
two o’clock in the afternoon, having gone a distance of seventy-two 
miles in ten hours and a half, which included a stoppage of an hour at 
Liverpool, and a similar stoppage at Warrington. He would not weary 
them by following the progress of the journey, but, upon reaching 
Manchester, about half a mile from the end of the journey, the plaintiff 
was seen by two men driving the pony, which was in a very distressed 
state, and the animal could scarcely get along. After defendant got 
to the Boar’s Head stables, the pony was taken to a veterinary surgeon 
named Unsworth. The pony struggled until six o’clock the following 
morning, and then expired. The pony was afterwards taken to some 
yard and was examined, when the stomach was found to be ulcerated. 
There was congestion of the lungs, and the diaphragm was ruptured. 
Both the congestion and rupture would, no doubt, be produced by 
over-driving. He would not make any remarks upon generalities, but 
would take this as a special case; for the society he represented having, 
to some extent, the functions of public prosecutors, did not desire to do 
more than simply present the facts. When the case had been heard, 
probably the bench would consider it was a case of cruelty, and that the 
humanity of others in this great city ought not to be offended by sights 
of this description. 
Thomas Cummings, ostler at Mr. Ryder’s, said he saw Mr. Hindle, on 
