Disgruntled Stableman Accused of Maiming Horse
A former employee faces charges for allegedly hamstringing a prized animal following his dismissal.
Charged with having 'hamstrung' one of Dr. A. L. Goff's valuable horses at the veterinary's summer home on Vashon Island, Philip Heidemann, a former stableman, was arrested yesterday afternoon and taken to Seattle, where he will face the charge in the King county courts. Dr. Goff claims that Heidemann spitefully used a sharp knife and cut the muscles of the hind leg of one of his most prized horses because he had been discharged.
“Dr. Goff claims that Heidemann spitefully used a sharp knife and cut the muscles of the hind leg of one of his most prized horses because he had been discharged.”
This incident highlights the intense labor-management friction of the era, where former employees often settled perceived grievances against their former employers' property. It serves as a reminder of how deeply connected the welfare of animals and the livelihoods of their owners were in pre-mechanized transport years.
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