SHOOTING AT CATS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 125, 8 March 1930, Page 9

SHOOTING AT CATS

AN AMUSING CASE. TWO AUCKLAND PROSECUTIONS. (Special,to the "Guardian.") AUCKLAND, March 7. Two men who had shot cats were brought before Mr F. K.' Hunt, S.M., „at the Police Court this morning on summons. The first was Charles Albert Basse, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of wilfully shooting a cat, the property of Edward Daugh. Defendant was rebresented by Mr W. F. Schramm. Edward' Waugh said - that on the night of February 16 his black torn cat came home with its left eye injured. He later complained to the police. Mr Schramm: How many cats have • you got?—Six. Mr Hunt: Whatl Six cats! What do you have half-a-dozen for? Witness: To keep the rats down. Mr Schramm: You must have a lot of rats. They must be all rats in your place. Witness: Oh, no. Mr Schramm said his client was a bird fancier, and had recently lost several valuable birds, which had been Consumed by cats. Sasse borrowed an air-gun which fired a pellet as big as a. .22 shot. He saw the black cat creeping along near where his pigeon? came out of a loft. He fired at the cat. Mr Hunt: A man has no right to shoot his neighbour's cat, you know, Mr Schramm. "Well, what is he to do, then?" asked counsel. "Sue his neighbour for damages if he has lost a bird," suggested ' the Magistrate. Mr Schramm: The trouble is finding out whose cat it is. * "We have got a leading case on cats and pigeons," said Mr Hunt. "It went to the House of Lords once." Defendant was convicted and discharged. The other case concerned one of two cats which were said to be fighting in a house at Point Chevalier. Allen Keith Tracey, a young man, admitted a charge of wilfully des- . troying a cat at Point Chevalier on December 22. Mr Jordan, who appeared for Tracey, said his client was staving with his sister at the time. "About one o'clock in the morning," said counsel, "there was a terrible hullabaloo in the house, which caused the inmates to wake up. Two cats were found fight--Iner with each other on a bed where a child was" sleeping." Mr Hu^t: I suppose thfly were making love with one another. (Laughter.) Mr Jordan added that Tracey did not have a weapon at the time, but later he secured a pea-rifle, and when the cat in question returned, he shot it. / Mr Hunt: It wasn't making a noise then? No, sir. Tracey was convicted and ordered to pay costs.