DISAPPEARANCE OF GEESE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 22 February 1935, Page 2

DISAPPEARANCE OF GEESE

THEFT NOT PROVED MAORIS AWARDED DAMAGES (By Telegraph—Press Association* BLENHEIM, This Day. George MicliaelTlarris, of Kenepuru Head, Pelorus Sound, owned 250 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 caused when one of the plaintiffs in his evidence naively remarked that goose flesh was not a solid enough food for men engaged in bushwhacking, while defendant asserted that one of the McDonalds had complained to him on one occasion that his geese were a bit tough. The Magistrate, Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M. held that theft had not been proved by defendant, and awarded plaintiffs £lO damages and costs.