18i 1.] Horrid Barharit^j lately perpetraied uponji Horse» 
yield to the force of truth. But, in regard 
to the system, and the intrigues with 
whicii he claims it, or causes it to be 
claimed, this advocate of ignorance 
realizesi the fable of the dog and tiie sha¬ 
dow, and will soon confirm the |}rovei'b, 
that ‘envy destroyeth the fiohsh man.^ 
Sir, hoping these observations will be 
found worthy your notice, I remain, 
Edinhurghy 1'iiomas Lovell. 
April 26, 1811. 
For the Monthly Magazine^ 
KORRiBLE BARBARITY lately perpetrated 
upon a HORSE. 
HE follow'ing acts of most horrible 
and heart-rending cruelty indicted 
Upon a poor horse, were first announced 
in the Morning Herald newspaper, and 
thence copied into several others, but by 
no means so extensively circulated and 
made public, as their signal atrocity de¬ 
mands; for which defect J am desirous to 
make amends, through the medium of 
the most extensive circulation of the 
Monthly Magazine; a publication,'from 
its first establishment, and throughout 
its whole meritorious and applauded 
career, sincerely devoted to t'r.e propa¬ 
gation of truth, light, and humanity. 
About three weeks ago, a person, who had 
hitherto passed under the denomination of a 
gentleman, in the county of Essex, and re¬ 
siding not far out of the high road from Lon¬ 
don to Chelmsford, on his horse starting with 
him, struck him most violently with his 
whip, and in consequence the animal reared 
Up and threw him. On getting up, the rider 
whipped him as long as he was able, and then, 
taking him home into the stable, renewed 
the beating with the assistance of his son, 
and continued it with so much severity, that 
the poor animal broke from his halter, and, 
in his agony and terror, rushed through the 
stable door, which was torn in pieces. His 
merciless assailants pursued him into a.small 
yard, and there again fell upon him, and, after 
lashing him till they were tired, w'ent within 
doors for some refreshment, that the master 
might reak a farther vengeance on his animal. 
The barbarous assault v/as soon recommenced, 
and, after long continuance, the maddened 
animal flew at some high paling, but in this 
desperate attempt to escape he broke both 
his legs, just above the fellock joints, and 
instantly fell. It might naturally be sup¬ 
posed, that the most brutal revenge would 
have been fatiated ; but far otherv/ise; for 
his carcase butchers no sooner saw their vic¬ 
tim thus maimed on the ground, than, fetch¬ 
ing two C45C-knive8, they immediately cw£ 
off tlie two feet ffom the limbs, then cut his 
throat, and afterwards made an effort, but in 
vain, to sever the head from t!ie body. They 
then betook themselves to slice the trembling 
flesh into numberless pieces; and, their mao 
lieing in an adjoining field at pujugh, these 
were wheeled out in a barrow, and dropped 
at regular intervals between the furrows,* in 
order, no doubt, to reap a profitable harvest 
hereafter, from this atrocidus deed. The 
horse was reckoned in the neighbourhood, a 
good tempered animal, and estimated at the 
value of one hundred guineas.’' 
The only reply which has hitherto 
been made to the above appialing and 
disgusting detail, is as follows, and which 
appeared in a Chelmsford paper last 
August. 
We are authorised to acquaint the pub¬ 
lic, that the account published in some of tha 
London papers respecting the uncommon bar¬ 
barity used towards a horse, by a gentlemarj 
and his son, residing near the high road, be¬ 
tween London and Chelmsford, is a fabrication 
by some person, who must be much more vile 
than the characters, (supposing them to exist) 
there traduced, in attempting to {'arrow up 
the feelings of humanity, by such an atrocious 
detail. We are desired to add, that the death, 
of the horse was nearly instantaneous, and it 
was much more humane to destroy, than to 
suffer it to exist, under all the circumstances 
that really occurred, and which were the 
effect of accident.” 
In answer to this very insufficient ex¬ 
tenuation for the death of- the iiorsc, 
under the occurrence of certain cir¬ 
cumstances acknowledged, the followin?'^ 
particulars are submitted. The editor of 
the Morning Herald, tlius answers se¬ 
veral of his correspondents, who doubted 
the truth of the statement. 
^ “ The person who committed this hor¬ 
rible act, has been made known to us by re¬ 
spectable characters of his neighbourhood, 
and who, we understand, are,taking the pro¬ 
per steps for a legal disclosure of the perpe¬ 
trating monster.” 
Immediately on the affair coming to 
my own knowledge, unable to obtam rest 
from my outraged sensibilities, and de-’ 
termined to contribute my mite in the 
sacred cause of humanity, I entreated a 
respectable and intelligent friend to make 
general enquiry at Rora.ford marker, 
among those persons nearest resident to 
the supposed perpetrator’s. His report 
is, that the dreadful tale was too true 
in most, or all, of its horrid circum¬ 
stances; that, indeed, the poor anitnai. 
was suddenly dispatched, but it was sub¬ 
sequently to the ir fligtion of the horrid 
crueltk§ des.c.rib§d, 
I for. 
