"JUSTICE'S JUSTICE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8988, 28 February 1888, Page 3

"JUSTICE'S JUSTICE."

Sib, —If ever a case in which law, justice, and equity were completely thrown on one side, it happened in a case tried at the Police Court this morning, in which a poor old Greek fish-hawker was mulcted in a fine of £10 and costs for alleged ill-treatment of his dog. The poor old man can scarcely speak or understand two words of English, and was so much upset and flabbergastered by the summons that he could not understand what was said, or explain himself at) all. The real facts of the case are, he was charged with beating his dog and knocking it brutally on the ground. Now, nearly all the residents in certain parts of Auckland know "Old Daimon," who has trained his dog to draw his barrow, and to guard it when he leaves it temporarily when selling his fish, and how he cares for it; and, moreover, he had two witnesses—one a butcher prove he bought meat daily out of his scanty earnings for it, and another, a neighbour, who could testify to his usual treatment of the dog. Best of all, he had the dog itself as a witness to attest that it has not a scratch on it. But the poor wretch was so frightened thathe not only could not call a witness to speak for him, but he actually committed perjury, for when asked if he had a collar for the dog, he answered "No," when the dog was there with the collar on its neck. The whole thing was a gross . travesty on our laws and civilisatioa, and the Magistrate who, in the face of the "dog" alone, could sentence a poor old, lame, penniless hawker to pay £10 and costs, or a month in gaol, should be given the latter without option of a fine.-5 am, &c., Constantine MATHEWS. 27th February, 1888.