PIGEON PIE.

NZ Truth, Issue 104, 15 June 1907, Page 3

PIGEON PIE.

A QUEER CASE AT WESTPORT.

Is an Eaten Pigeon Destroyed?

What becomes of property confiscated by the Crown ? At Westport re- ! cently two men named Mumm and Berdiher were fined for shooting native pigeons. Fifteen of .the birds were produced m Court, and tfie hungry eye of prospective possession was cast upon them by various persons. Finally Crown Prosecutor A. A. Wilson grasped the 'pigeons tenderly, and taking three plump ones divided the rest equally amongst Walter A<tkwi, the J.P." who tried the * case, solicitor A. C. 'Cottrell, who appeared for the convicted sportsmen, Police Sergeant Cullen, who prosecuted the offenders, and E. D. Mosley, Cleric of the Court. This method of disposal annoyed Henry .Nahr, Vice-President of the Acclimatisation Sooieity, who demanded the ill-gotten game from the persons : named. The desirableness of taking Nahr into the "divide" seems to have been overlooked. At any rate that individual claimed the dead birds for, the hospital, and as they dM; not imaterfialise lie informed afeaitest.the. sacred personages mentioned, charging, them with having native game m their possession. The distinguished accused regarded the mat--ter as' a joke, and clung to their pigeons. The Grown Prosecutor acknowledged m Court that the slaughtered; innocents had made excellent .pie, and Lawyer Cot-troll frankly, recalled- tiie epicurean delights of an unusual dish. The recollection of pigeon pie floated through the Court rind got tangled up m the proceedings, and the hardened prisoners viewed .the case with composure.; ' The Sergeant only , V BETRAYED AGITATION. He -said Nahr came into the polioe office like a roaring lion. He attacked the Sergeant as if he had been an enemy all h,is life' ; "Perhaps/ said the police officer, significantly, "because T helped to condemn bis rotten, hotels." . Solicitor Moloney '(Prosecution) and McDonald ' (defence) and Magistrate Kenrick discussed the legal aspect of •the case:. Appears that the Society is -.'riot registered "because ot-inade-quate-jnem-bership and could not hold possession of the birds. Also Nahr had no authority from the Society to prosecute", and rushed m where angels' teal* to tread. Moreover, if the birds were ■; given to Nahr and he was watched closely until he reached the hospital with them, he would be liable to, arrest on his way therefor having unlawful game m his possession. Confiscated stock; should be destroyed, and it is a question if pigeon pjfo is destruction or merely consumption or assimilation. If the pigeons were -buried it' might be assumed that the birds were destroyed, but scientific "authorities affirm that' it is : impossible to, destroy matter. The j One. fact which , stands out conspicuously, like the piety of J. J. North, is- that thVunan who shot tbe ; pigeons^ sihbul'd hot ge>t them. The informations were dismissed with costs ,ar mounting to £7 2s. . „