Notes of the Day

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

Notes of the Day

National Party The Colyton branch of the New Zealand National Party advertise their annual meeting in this issue, to be held in the local hall to-morrow (Thursday) at 8 p.m. Both tho womens and men’s 1 organisations will meet and a good ! attendance is asked for. Women’s Golf Tho Feilding Ladies’ Golf Club opening day, which was postponed last week owing to unfavourable weather, will be held this afternoon (Wednesday), when a foursome competition will be played. Players are asked to arrange their own partners for the game. Concert Arranged The Feilding Agricultural High School Old Pupils’ Association advertise in this issue their annual concert, which is being held in the James Easbv Knight Memorial Hall on Monday evening next. The programme is in the hands of a capable committee and the usual high standard of entertainment is promised patrons. Rugby Football The Feilding Rugby Club seniors engaged in a match against Old Boys at Dannevirko on Saturday afternoon, the game resulting in a draw—G all. Wilson and Linton scored for Feilding. Feeding Old Boys seniors spent the afternoon in training, while tho juniors were successful in a match with Bunnythorpe at Bunny thorpe, the scores being: Feilding Old Boys 19, Bunny thorpe S. yelled out to them “What the hell have you got there?” and someone had replied that they had two pigs, and a request had been made to go down to Pearce’s place. Tho pigs were of no value to him as he was living at home. There had been no secrecy about the “raid.” He did not think Strawbridge had known what was going on. To Sergeant Turner, he did not think the conversation in the car regarding the taking of the pigs could have been overheard by Strawbridge. He did not even know what they were going ro :!o with tho pigs when they had been taken. Lawrence James Pearce, lorry-driver, formerly in the employ of the Cheltenham.Dairy Company, said he knew tho i pig-farm. Up till 6 o’clock on the afternoon he had had about 12 to 14 beers and he had some more at F. W. Pearce’s transport depot. He had taken , Beatson home and they returned after tea to consume the beer that was left. , By 9 o’clock he was under the influence s of liquor, but he could remember when, > in the back of Strawbridge’s car, the • suggestion being made that they should go to tho farm. He did not know who i made it. He then described what took ■ place at the piggery. He remembered i he fell in a drain when returning to the l car. He dumped one of the pigs in the • back and got in the front of the car [ with Strawbridge and asked to be • driven to his home in Church Street, 5 where Strawbridge had left them. He 5 himself had no use for the pigs. Ho . was no longer working for the Chelten--5 ham Dairy Company. i Replj’ing to Sergeant Turner, he said - he could not actually remember saying ; to Beatson that they should go to the ; pig-farm and “get a couple of pigs if 1 they were any good.” He could not . remember asking Strawbridge to wait ; at the farm. It had been that bright ) he did not think it would have mad) i any difference if the lights on the car j had been ou. Ho had lit the copper, . scalded the pigs and cut the heads eft, . although ho had not known what he . was going to do with them. r Mr. Cullinane claimed that thero was 1 no evidenco that Strawbridge had i guilty knowledge and that was an [ essential fact if the police wero to i prove charges of theft or receiving i against him.

Sergeant Turner said ho thought the farmers should have some protection against night raids. The Magistrate said there could be no doubt as to the guilt of Pearce and Beatson, and Pearce was the chief transgressor. He regretted ho could not see it was merely a drunken escapade. Tho detailed statements they were able to give the police next day were not such as to conform with that. Pearce was the ringleader. Beatson had said Pearce suggested they should take tho pigs and he had been the one to “start the ball rolling.” The pigs were the property of the dairy-farmers of the district and it was the duty of the Court to protect farmers against theft. They were having hard enough times without offences of that kind. The matter was a very serious one and they had no right to do what they did. Pearce would be sentenced to one month in the Wellington gaol.

Beatson had been very foolish. Drink was no excuse. Even in the box he did not seem to appreciate where he stood. He stood very close to imprisonment and would be sent to gaol if he acted similarly again. lie would be fined £7, in default one month’s gaol. He would also have to pay the cost of one of the pigs and 13s costs. As regards Strawbridge, his hammer had been in the back of the car. It may or may not have had an important bearing on the case. It was stated by Beatson that the suggestion had been made in Strawbridge’s car that the pigs should be taken. Pearce had also said he thought Strawbridge must have known what they were doing. It did not seem possible that lie could have turned into Root Street without asking his companion -what they were up to. When he heard the pigs squeal ho must have known they were being stolen. He was beyond all question also a receiver. He would be fined £5 Is and ordered to pay the cost of one of the pigs. Security was fixed for an appeal.