WANDERING COWS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 195, 15 May 1936, Page 15

WANDERING COWS

Man’s 37 Convictions “You have already paid in fines what must amount to far more than the cost of having vour field securely fenced, said Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when for the 37th time within three years Robert James Feely was convicted of letting stock wander. “Defendant’s mother accused me ot breaking into the padclock and taking the cattle out. and also of breaking into another man's field and taking a cow out, said Ranger D. Chapman. He stated that at about? one o clock in the morning of March 14 he found 15 cows lying in the road in Buckley Street. He took them to Feely s place, hut obtained no answer when he Knocked. He then went to defendant’s mothers place, and she told him the cows were her son’s. Next morning when he went round she accused him of- breaking into the paddock. , , Questioned by Mr. A. B. Sievwright, who appeared for Feely, the ranger conceded that Feely had complained of a man called Lloyd knocking down his fence. With Constable Baker, of Island Bay, he had watched to see if Lloyd did so, but nt no time had found any evidence to bear out Feely’s complaint. Mr. Sievwright said that all his client could conclude was that the cows must have been interefered with by some person after he turned them out for the night. An enemy must have done this. Only ten of the cows belonged to Feely. Frank Anset, relief worker, said he had turned out Feely's cows that night. He was convinced that someone had interfered with the gate. John Henderson said that with Ranger .Chapman he had on a former occasion seen Lloyd dogging cows off Feely’s paddock on to the road. The ranger said that Henderson’s evidence was untrue. > Defendant was stated to have been already convicted 18 times in 1934. 16 times in 1935, and twice this year, for similar offences. He was convicted and fined £3 and costs.