STORY OF MISSING GEES

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 22 February 1935, Page 6

STORY OF MISSING GEES

Farmer’s Accusation Results in an Action for Slander TOTAL OF 110 GO ASTRAY COURT AWARDS DAMAGES (By Telegraph—Press Association.) BLENHEIM, To-day. George Michael Harris, of Kenepuru Head, Pelorous Sound, owned 2.50 geese, but coincident with the arrival in the vicinity of a party of four Maori brothers, who had a scrub cutting contract, their numbers began to dwindle steadily, until a muster revealed that altogether 140 had disappeared. In his annoyance, Harris, while attending a tennis party at the residence of W. Ashton, a neighbour, remarked publicly that someone had stolen his geese and accused the McDonald brothers, the Maoris in question, of stealing 75 of them. As a sequel, the McDonald brothers proceeded in the Picton Court for damages for alleged slander. Some amusement was aroused when one of the plaintiffs, in evidence, naively remarked that goose flesh was not a solid enough food for men engaged in bushwhacking, while the defendant asserted that one of the McDonalds had complained to him on one occasion that his geese were a hit tough. The magistrate, Mr Maunsell, held that theft had not been proved by defendant and awarded plaintiffs £lO damages and costs.