Cruelty to Pit Ponies At Denaby.

July 1890

Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Monday 28 July 1890

Cruelty to Pit Ponies At Denaby.

This afternoon at the Rotherham West Riding Police Court, Patrick Marrion, pony driver, was charged with having ill treated a pony at the Denaby Main Colliery on the 14th inst.

A deputy named Silas Schofield, saw the defendant, who was wearing clogs, kick a pony under the bbelly. A lump about the size of a walnut was caused. The pony was all right when it left the stables in the morning. Other lumps were found on the pony’s body.

Mr. Hickmott, who prosecuted, on behalf of the Denaby Main Colliery Company, said the defendant had been up before for an offence of that description, and in default of paying a fine he was sent prison. In consideration of the fact that defendant’s father had gone away, and that he (the defendant) was the main support of his mother, another job was found for him. Defendant would now lose his situation, and the company did not press the case.

Fined 2s. 6d. and costs.

James Calagan, 19, was summoned for similar offence.

Mr. Hickmott stated that on the 17th July, the defendant, while at work in No. 53 ginny of the Denaby Mine, stuck a pony called Jonathan with an iron locker. The blow was given because the pony did not stop pulling when told to do so. The horse keeper, John Guest, found that lump the sizs of walnut had been caused.

Fined 10s. and costs.