A SLAUGHTERED COCKATOO.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 2, 13 December 1911, Page 2

A SLAUGHTERED COCKATOO.

CLAIM FOR DAMAGE

A case of a somewhat novel nature occupied the Xapici Court vesterday when Mr. McKenzie, secretary of the Drivers' Union, sued I. H. Coleman for the sum of £-10 damages for the destruct on of a pct white cockatoo. Mr. D. J. Dolan appeared for th'' plaintiff and Mr. H. Humphries for the defence.

The ease outlined was that the

r-'ckatim had special value as a great friend of plaintiff s invalid wife. Seme time ago the bird was ■apttired by some young men at the Port and after he rescued it he put an advertisement in the press warning people against detaining his birds. In response to this advertisement the defendant published a letter stating that he would destroy the birds if they annoyed him . Later defendant took the law into his own hand and shot the white cockatoo. The defence claimed that the bird was not the property of the plaintiff and (2) if it was the property a eo-antcr claim war, made for £lO damage done to a. tree. It was contended for the plaintiff that these birds had' considerable commercial v;l ] U e — as much as £-15 hae ing been ■mid for one. It was true that Mr. McKenzie did not hold a receipt foi ’lie bird, but it had been with him fc-r more than two years and ho.el lost its -’aninuis revrrtendi." His Wcrshin reviewed the evidence at considerable length anti non-suited on both the c aim and counter claim on the ground that here was not sufficient evidence to prove whether the cockat: belonged to plaintiff or anyone el e. plamiff to nay expenses £4 15 2. oo costs were allowed on the counter claim.