A MAN AND AN OYSTER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 November 1924, Page 13

A MAN AND AN OYSTER.

, CHARGE OF POACHING. PLEADING LETTER TO MAGISTRATE. Almost daily the magistrates who administer justice in the courts receive numbers of letters from defendants anct accused persons, those with grievances and those who are under the impression that they have a grievance. Last "week in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court a letter was handed to Mr J. AY. Poynton, S.M., which caused the" Magistrate to smile. A young man, a visitor from the country, was charged with poaching oysters on Labour Day. He did not appear, but instead wrote a letter to Mr Poynton. The following are excerpts:—

‘‘lf I appear in court, 1 might lose my job, and I was out a. long time before I got my present position, and consequently 1 have a. lot to pull up, and I am fighting big odds. The girl that £ hope to make my wife some day has been in bad health. for some time, and as she has no relatives or friends I am footing the bill lor her keep and the doctor’s expenses, as any decent man would do. Now, on Labour Day, I thought a boat trip would do her good. So we got some plain bread and butter and I just managed to squeeze the boat fare for the trip to Brown’s Island. AA r e took shelter under the rocks during the rain, and while there we saw men getting mussels. So I decided to get a. few, and while I was getting over a rock I 1 saw an open oyster, and, never having tasted oysters, I picked it off the shell ancj was just trying it when a man came along and asked me if they were any good. I thought they were all right for anyone that liked them, but .1 did not care for it, and threw it down, and proceeded to look for mussels. But the man called me back .and told me he was an inspector. I was very much surprised. That’s' the first time I have ever known it to be an offence to pick oysters. I am very sorry. I did not see any notices, a jfld- I have never been to a picinc of this sort before, having only come down from _the country to try to get on in the big city. Now, dear sir, please give me time to pay if I am fined, because I have an old granddad whose death I am expecting to hear of at any time now, and I have only one brother to help me, and he is i* the Salvation Army, and does not get much pay, and he -won’t be able to help me much with expenses of the funeral for my poor old granddad. Dear sir, as God is my Judge, this letter is true in all details, so I will leave this matter in your capable hands. P.S.—Since this trouble the girl has been worse from worrying over the matter.”

After the letter had been read, Mr Poynton asked Mr Hubble, -who appeared for the Inspector of Fisheries, whether lie was moved to tears. Mr Hubble: “I am afraid I cannot suggest a reduction of the penalty. He may be given a long time to pay it, -but that is all.’.’

Defendant was fined £5 and costs, the usual fine in such cases, but he was allowed, two months in which to pay.