POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15769, 18 November 1914, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

THE FORBIDDEN OYSTER. PROSECUTION OF- dealers. Charges of having oysters in their possession during the close season were brought against Garcs Raftopulos and Peter Constantino at the Police Court yesterday. All pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Rutledge said that the taking of oysters was prohibited on October 21, and the selling on O' tooor 24, and notices to that effect were posted in the oyster depot two months ago. \\ hen defendants' premises were, visited quantity of oysters that had been! purchased from the depot prior to the sea-1 son closing were found, but there was! nothing to suggest that defendants had' come by them improperly. The magistrate, I Mr. F. V. Frazjr, S.M., said that he' would impose the minimum fine, £1, with! costs. MAORI'S THEFT OF MONEY. Wirenui Kingi, a member of the Maori' expeditionary force, appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing £20, the property of Hi Ra, Chief-Detective McMahon said that Kingi had been given a cheque for £20 to cash by Hi Ra, and had stolen the; money. He pleaded guilty, when he was' before* the Court last week, and wiis re* i manded for the probation officer's report. I The magistrate said that the report stated' that the accused's lapse was due to drink, and he had spent the proceeds of the cheque in liquor. The probation officer recommended that Kingi be admitted to probation, but if this was done he would not be able to leave with the expedition- j ary force. K ngi, in reply to a question, stated that it would take him. six months to refund the amount. I Tim magistrate said that in that case he I would not be able to go with the expedi- ! tionary force. He would be admitted to, probation for 12 months, and ordered to ! refund the amount stolen within 6ix months. If he pa : d the £20 before the expeditionary force left he could apply to have the restrictions removed.

NEGLECTED CATTLE.

William James Short, who was defended by Mr. Towle, pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to supply 23 cows with proper and sufficient fond. Henry Alder, inspector for the Society for the Prevent.on of Cruelty to Animals, said that this was a case of overstocking. Un October 28, he visited defendant's farm at Wai-

mauku and found 23 cows in a miserable

condition. He subsequently went to defendant's place and found the lows in the 1 ' same paddock. When questioned the de-' fendant said that the state of the paddock was due to the dry season. The paddock was covered with a little weed, which gave it a green appearance, but he did not see any grass there. Constable Reid and John Robertson, meat inspector, gave similar evidence. The latter said the cows were in a miserable emaciated cond tion, and if they had been removed he would have hesitated to put his pony in the paddock •< to find a living. ; The defendant said that he had sown i the paddock in grass in July, and it was' about an inch long. The dry weather had affected h : s farm considerably, but he thought the feed was sufficient to keep the cows from starvation. The animals were not in an emaciated state, though they i were not in what is termed a forward con- 1 dition. I After hearing the evidence of another witreas, who supported defendant, the magistrate imposed a fine of £5, with £3 2s costs. I 2s costs. j