THE SHEEP-STEALER.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14903, 17 February 1914, Page 5

THE SHEEP-STEALER.

DOES HE STILL FLOURISH ?

AATiile the jury was absent considering its verdict in the sheep-stealing case which was before the Supreme Court yesterday, the reporter went outside to get a whiff of fresh air, and quite naturally joined a little group that was discussing, the case and speculating on the verdict. "He'll get five years," said a young fellow who. it transpired subsequently, knew something of sheep, having been (maybe still is) a musterer and knew his North Canterbury and Amuri runs off pat. "Nonsense!" remarked the pressman, "look at the sentences given in the Customs cases—tne biggest term was three years." The musterer, however, was of opinion that irauds perpetrated upon his Majesty's Customs were negligible affairs as compared with sheep-stealing. Of course, subsequent events proved that he much over-estimated the hcinousness of the offence. A littlo discussion aro3o as to whether ' sheen-stealing is a.s prevalent as it was in "the brave days of old." The conclusion arrived at, in a rather circumlocutory way, was that it is quite a_ pre- | ralent, but is not carried out on the

same magnificent and impudent fashion; likewise, the sheep-stealer has learned various methods of eluding detection, and in sheep-stealing, as in any other walk of crime, the greatest 01----fenco of all is being found out. The modern sheep-_te__er is not so often guilty of being found out as the sheep pirates of the early days. As a consequence, as bis Honour indicated in sentencing the offender who was before the Court- yesterday, not a few men are able to pay off the purchase money on their farms in addition to amassing a little for a rainy day by the practice, under modern conditions, of the oldtime trade, profession, or calling, of sheep-stealing.

The musterer recalled the name of a man whose exploits are still remembered in North Canterbury. Ho had a littlo sheep yard of his own. The means of entrance was up a gully in the midst of which a creek meandered with bushcovered banks. To this secret yard tho man nsed to drive the sheep that ho had feloniously picked up. The way thereto, as may be gathered, was steep and difficult, nnd to reach it the cheeo had to cross the creek many times. This man went on the good old British plan—"a little here. a little there"—and "picked up" a few here and drove them to the yard, and added to them bit by bit till he pot a pood mob together. Then he would drive them overland to Greymouth, aim* reap the reward of his misdoings. To do this effectively necessitated good dogs, and the man is reputed to have possessed the finest sheep dogs then procurable in Canterbury. Times and methods have altered considerably since then, and the problem of making money out of your neighbour's shee*> has beon reduced to a fine art. The old nroblem. how not to be found out. still exists, but is, nl.eged_v, being solved successfully in not a few cases.