COATHAM – Cruel Neglect of Goat

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette 19/11/1887.

COATHAM – CRUEL NEGLECT OF A GOAT

           On Tuesday (15/11) morning at Guisborough Police Court, a case was heard in which Anthony Adamson, greengrocer, Coatham, was charged with cruelly ill treating a goat by keeping it without food or water, or anyone to milk it on the 26^th ult. Mr. Richardson prosecuted on behalf of the RSPCA. The defendant, who failed to answer the summons, had left his house in Rocket Terrace, Coatham, at noon on the day named. In the backyard he had left the goat in question, fastened up in the coal house, and had made no provision for it being fed or milked during his absence.
Thirty six hours after the departure of the defendant the neighbours heard the piteously bleating and Mr. Hutton, a farmer, got his servant lad to climb over the defendant’s yard wall, and give the goat some food. This was done the lad describing the goat as having eating some food ravenously. As it was suffering great pain by the long retention of milk, he relieved it by performing the necessary operation. Inspector Fuller of the RSPCA, said the defendant excused himself by alleging that he had requested Miss Maria Miles to attend the goat, but this was denied, and it was not until Saturday that the defendant sent a letter requesting a neighbour to milk the goat. Defendant was fined £1-14shillings, including costs.