THEFT OF PIGS FROM 1 CHELTENHAM DAIRY CO.

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 96, 26 April 1939, Page 3

THEFT OF PIGS FROM 1 CHELTENHAM DAIRY CO.

Three Men Convicted ONE SENT TO GAOL Considerable interest was aroused in the Feilding Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning by the appearance ot' three men who were jointly charged with the theft on April 4 of two pedigree pigs valued at £3 3s each, the property of the Cheltenham Dairy Company, of Makino. Accused were: Percy Albert Strawbridge, garage proprietor, of Kimbolton Road; Lawrence James Pearce, lorry driver, of Church Street; and Henry Taylor Beatson, lorry driver, of Aorangi. M. D. C. Cullinane desired to enter pleas of guilty on behalf of Pearce and Beatson provided Strawbridge was charged separately but, as this was not permitted by the police, he pleaded not guilty on behalf of them all. Sergeant E. Turner prosecuted. Wilbur Albert Petty, of Root Street, Feilding, said his residence was off Makino Road and near the Cheltenham Dairy Company’s piggery. He had been employed there for some time. On April 4 he went to bed about 9.30 and heard a motor-car about 15 minutes later coming slowly down Makino Road into Root Street. Ne did not hear it stop, but heard the door of the vehicle slam and gathered that it could not have gone to his neighbour’s place. The next thing he heard pigs scuffling in the lane as if they had been disturbed. He heard two distinct squeals. He knew that pigs were being taken so ho tosq and looked out the front door and saw two men running in the lane of the pig farm. He could not sco whether tho men were, carrying anything and went further out towards Root Street and saw the car moving slowly to the entrance to tho pig farm. As tho car came opposite the lane the men got in quickly and drove off fairly slowly without lights showing. Ho had seen nothing placed in the car nor did the car have lights burning at any stage. As the car passed his own gate he stepped out and took its number. The car turned towards Feilding at tho corner. He then went to Mr. Thurston’s house and told him what he had observed.

To Mr. Cullinane, he said he had no difficulty in getting the number of the car. He first saw fhe car a few seconds before the men were getting into it. It was a bright moonlight night and he had no trouble to see the nuiuber even without the tail-light. He also kept running behind the car. He would deny that the car’s lights were burning all the time.

To Sergeant Turner, Petty said he had seen the car’s lamps for about threo chains and they were not burning in that time.

The next witness, Hubert Ernest Thurston, pig farm manager for the Cheltenham Dairy Company, who resides in Makino Road, said tho farm covered 51 acres and on April 4 there | were approximately 450 pigs there. There were Tamworths, Berkshire.? and Tamworth-Berkshirc crosses. There were 10 pedigree pigs nine weeks old in pen number 11 when he fed them at 5 o’clock. Later in tho evening he had been spoken to by the previous witness and had told the police of what ho had learned. The pigs were valued at £3 3s each and he identified two heads produced by the earmarks which were those of the company, placed there by himself to keep the different strains separate. The heads produced were pedigree Berkshires and he could tell from the mark tho name of tho sow they were out of. On the following morning instead of 10 pigs there were only eight in pen number 11. There was blood in the corner of the pen and

here and there in the lane. He followed it to Root Street where some could be seen on the metal. If they had been killed in the ordinary way by cutting tho throat they would have bled more. It was liis opinion they had been hit on the head, probably a little too hard otherwise they would not have bled. No person had any authority to enter the piggery to kill or remove pigs. lie knew Pearce, who was a cream lorry driver for tho company, but lie had never seen him on the farm in connection with the pigs. In reply to Mr. Cullinane witness said the market value of ordinary pigs of the same size was 7s or Bs. Constable Ernest Strawbridge said he had on the morning of April 5 examined a Plymouth sedan car at the residence of Strawbridge. On tho floor of the back seat wero blood stains and an engineer’s hammer, which bore blood marks. He interviewed Strawbridge and informed him that he thought he was present with the others when they had been at Makino the night before. Strawbridge admitted being there but said he would uot have gone if he had known what they were going to do. The constable then produced statements taken from each of the men, who were charged. None of them had stated how the carcases were to be divided. The hammer belonged to Strawbridge’s shop. To Mr. Cullinane he said he took it that tho car battery was flat as Strawbridge had said he could not get the vehicle to start when he had spoken to him.

Mr. Cullinane then intimated his intention of placing his clients in the box. Percy Albert Strawbridge, motor garage proprietor, said the car in question had been employed for his business. The hammer had been in the car and there was nothing unusual in the hammer being there. He had collected his car from a carrier’s depot at about 0 o ’clock. A number of men wero there and they were drinking. He had two glasses. A man named Beale with whom he had been discussing the salo of a vehicle was there and they decided to return after tea to talk the matter over. They did so. Some beer that was left, following the conclusion of tho talk about tho truck, was consumed. That would be about 9 o’clock. He was also expecting a call from his wife. He then ran various men home and only Beatson and Pearce were left. He started then to take to his house in Church Street but that man asked him to take him to Makino and directed him down Root Stret. When he came to the last house he turned into the gateway and Pearce and Beatson had gone over to the pig farm while he turned the car, lit a cigarette and waited just off the metal with only the dashboard light burning. Pearce and Beatson had given him no idea of what they were going to do. He heard pigs squeal and shortly after Pearce and Beatson both came out carrying pigs. He called out to Pearce: “What tho hell have you got there?” He replied: “I’ve got a couple of pigs and I would like you to take them down to ray place.” Thero was nothing to indicato whether the pigs were taken honestly or dishonestly although he thought it a bit queer. Beatson got in the back of the car and Pearce at the front. They had put the pigs in and they were driven to Church Street. He asked Pearce what he was going to do with the pigs to be informed they were “pinched.” He then told them he thought they were a pair fools.” He then went home straight away, leaving Beatson to get home the best he could. The lights had been on all the time the car was moving in Root Street.

In reply to Sergeant Turner, Strawbridge said ho had only heard tho others in tho back of the car talking, but did not hear them suggest going to Makino to take the pigs. When he heard the pigs squealing he had no idea what they were doing. He did not think he should have left as he did not know Pearce should not be there. The others were not what could bo called drunk. He definitely could not remember a suggestion that they should go to Makino and get a couple of pigs. Henry Taylor Beatson, of Aorangi, said lie had returned to the transport depot at about 7.30 along with eome others. Beale had been in the office with Strawbridge. He had been in the dressing-room. At 9 o’clock, as tho beer ivas finished, they decided to go home. He was pretty merry, but not drunk. He had been in the back seat of Strawbridge’s car as some of the men were being driven home. Someone, he could not say who, had suggested going to Makino to take some pigs. Strawbridge had not taken part in the conversation. Ho thought it was Pearce who directed the driver to Root Street. He had gone into the piggery with Pearce. He remembered himself and Pearce carrying the pigs back to the car, where Strawbridge was smoking a cigarette. Strawbridge had