Thanet Advertiser 23rd September 1899

TRADESMAN AND DRIVER FINED FOR CRUELTY

At the Cinque Ports Petty Sessions, Margate, on Monday, William Henry Emptage, of Hughenden Road, Birchington, was summoned for working a horse in an unfit state at Birchington, on September 1st, and Henry Tapsell, of Station Road, Birchington, was summoned for causing the horse to be so worked.

Police-constable Jenner said that on the 1st September, at 1p.m. he saw Emptage drive a grey horse attached to a four-wheeled bread van in Station Road. He noticed the horse was going lame, and witness caught up the van at Station Bridge and then noticed a bandage on the fore-off fetlock.

He asked the driver what was the matter with the leg, and he said it had had a fall and cut its leg. He removed the bandage at witness’s request, and revealed the flesh cut to the bone. The foot was much swollen and very heated.

Witness asked the owner why he was working the horse in such a state, and he replied that Mr Tapsell had sent it out thinking a little exercise would do it good.

Witness then asked him to take the horse out, and the driver did so, and took it back to the stable. It then walked lame. He had had complaints that Mr Tapsell was working a lame horse. He should say it would give the horse considerable pain to work it in such a state.

Inspector Fair, R.S.P.C.A. corroborated the evidence of the previous witness as to the condition of the horse, which he considered was utterly unfit for any sort of work. He regarded it as a very bad case.

Emptage said he thought it would do the horse more good to do the round, only a mile in extent, than standing in a stable. It had no more than four cwt to draw.

Tapsell said Emptage had told him of the horses fall, and he told him it would do no harm to do the round. He admitted that it was a bad cut and was sorry if he had acted wrong.

A fine of 10 shillings and 12 shillings costs was imposed in each case.

Authors note:

William Henry Emptage 1868 – 1956, son of Edwin Robert Emptage and Emma Martha (Hurst). Husband of Emma (Terry)