PARADISE DUCKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 52

PARADISE DUCKS.

ALLEGED ILLEGAL SHOOTING. CHARGE AGAINST MEMBERS OF ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY. Early on the n.orning of May 1 Constable E. J. Jones, of Ophir, made a surprise visit to a lagoon at Lauder to evc. if the protected paradise ducks were being interfered with. While in hiding near the lagoon the constable asserts that he saw paradise ducks shot, and he then rode forward to the water and found there three members of the Game Committee of the Acclimatisation Society in Messrs Brinsley, Co-.vie, and Rutherford. The three gentlemen named denied haying shot any paradise ducks, but the constable forwarded a report to Inspector Mitchell relating the occurrence. This report was considered at a special meeting of the society, when Constable Jones's statement was read as follows:

<; I respectfully report that I left my station at 3 a.m. this morning and arrived in the vicinity of Thomas Whyte's, of Lauder, at 3.45 a.m. I tied up my horse, and remained within hearing of gun shots of the lagoon near Whyte's until 6 a.m. I then took my horse and went into thte cutting on the road, about a qurater of a mile away from the lagoon. Gun firing commenced at a few minutes after 6 a.m. in all directions. By. the aid of field glasses I had a full view of the above lagoon, and I am satisfied no one left the lagoon after the first shot was fired. I watched! the lagoon closely until 7.15 a.m. A large number of shots were fired. On several occasions I saw paradise ducks go on to the lagoon, and immediately they alighted shots were fired. I rode in the direction! of the lagoon, and when within a few hundred yards of the water I saw eome paradise ducks alight on the water, which were fired at from persons in two separate places. I rode up to the lagoon, where Messrs Cowie, Brinsley, and Rutherford, all of Dunedin, and members of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, were posted around the lagoon, concealed by trenches and rushes. On riding up I noticed a number of dead paradise and grey ducks on the water. I first spoke to Mr Brinsley, and asked him if he could account for the dead paradise duoks, to which he replied, 'We did not shoot them.' I again said ' How do you account for them-.' Mr Brinsley then said: ' There two fellows here about 6 o'clock shooting them, and we ordered them off.' I said, 'Did you ask them for their names?' Mr Brinsle'y replied, 'No, they told us to feo to have the paradise ducks if you want them; we will not touch them.' I n'ext spoke to Mr Rutherford, and asked him i-f he had shot any paradise ducks. He replied, ' None of us have.' I asked him if he had seen any other men about. He replied, ' Nd.' I * informed him that Mr said that they had ordered two men away. Mr Rutherford replied, ' Brinsley was out before us, and I don't know what he did.' I then spoke to Thomas Whyte, who lives close by, where the three men referred to had stayed-the night. He (Whyte) stated that no one'but Brinsley, Rutherford, and Cowie had been at the lagoon. I then left the lagoon for about half an hour, andi on returning I again spoke to Mr Brinsley, and asked him if he had seen anything of the two meat He said he had not. I said, ' It is a wonder you did not:get their names, seeing you are a ranger within the meaning of the tct.' Brinsley replied, ' I don't want it used if a court case comes of it, but they told me to go to ; that'ef what they said.' I asked Mr Brinsley if he would give nie a signed statement of what had occurred. He replied 'he would not, but would give evidence in court against these t'.vo men if he could find them. ' I next spoke to Mr Cowie, who also stated that he had not shot any paradise ducks, but that- he beard shots bct.veen 4 and 5 a.m. on the lagoon, and got up, but could see no one. Neither Cowie, Rutherford, nor Brinsiey would give a signed statement of what they knew. On my .second visit) I counted ten deacV paradise ducks on the lagoon, which none of the above men claimed. I secured seven of them and broug-ht them away. The other three were too far in the water, and could not bo secured. There was also between 30 and 40 dead grey duck on the lagoon, which the above three men claimed. It seems strange that if the two men referred to by Brinsley were at the lagoon at all they should walk away and leave without any cause, and also- tihat they should not have had some grey ducks to claim, for they are the most plentiful. "I am quite satisfied that no other persons were at the lagoon after shooting commenced this morning, and that no shots were fired for some hours before daylight. " It also seems strange that members of the society should actually catch men shooting paradise ducks and take no steps to bring them to justice." (, The following resolution was adopted at the meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society: —"That this council invites Messrs Rutherford, Cowie, and Brinsley to give a clear and explicit denial to the statements made by Constable Jones, in so far as those statements reflect upon their conduct; and, further, to state positively that no paradise ducks were shot by them, or any one of them, on the morning of May 1, or at any time immediately preceding that date." Mr Brinsley,-and Mr Rutherford, who were present, emphatically denied the statements made by. Constable Jones. Mr Cowie, who was unable to attend, forwarded a letter, in which, inter alia, he stated:

The constable saye he is satisfied no one left the lagoon after the first shot was fired. This is not corrtpt. After shooting on the lagoon for half eui hour or more Mr Whyte left us and went over the paddock after some wounded ducks. While he was away the constable arrived., and went to Mr Brinsley 'land spoke to him. Afterwards he went to Mr Rutherford and s]>oke to him, and then he went away, but returned some time after, and again went to Mr Brinsley's blind, and stayed with him some time. lie appeared to be talking in a friendly way, and had a drop out of the flaisk. " He "then came cut of the blind, got a piece of fencing wire, and gathered the paradise ducks, which were lying at the side of the lagoon. He (the constable) then came to me, and asked me if I had shot any paradise ducks. I told him I hod not, but that I was wakened in the early morning _ (20 minutes past 5) by four shots being fired three in quick succession and one shortly afterwards. I got up, obtained a lignt, put on a pair of boots, and went out.

I could hear birds flying about, but could see no one. I returned to the house and wakened Mr Whyte's brother (who was sleeping in the same room), and told him what had occurred. The house is a stone one, and I was (sleeping- by the only window in the room, which would account for my being awakened. Why did not the policeman go to Jack Whyte and find out if what I told him was correct? Ho passed within a couple of chains of Whyte, who was plougning alongside the road'. The policeman next states that I refused to give a signed statement of what I knew. Ho never asked me for a signed statement. He next states that three of the ducks were too far in the water and sould not be secured. This is also untrue, as I. offered l to got them for him with the dog, but he refused!, saying he had enough. JNext, he comments on the two men walking away without any cause, and having no grey ducks, to claim. Again he is not correct. The two men would have every cause to go away, as they were on private property and would be trespassers. Everyone knows that the groy ducks leave the lagoon in the evening to go to feed, and do not return until daylight the next morning. The paradise ducks stay on the water, and feed in the day time. Lastly, he says it is strange that members should actually catch men shooting paradise ducks and take no steps to bring them to justioe. I saw no one shooting paradise ducks. I heard shots fired, and an hour or more afterwards saw dead paradise ducks on the water. There is a good deal of local feeling over the shooting at this place.. Last year, while j>lr Rutherford and myself were shooting, some men stood on the road behind the gorse, about 100 yards from us, and shot at everything that came within sight, with the object of frightening all the game away. A couple of paradise ducks came and walked about quite close to us, and the men were calling out: "Shoot them; shoot the ; knock them over," etc., etc. My own opinion on the matter is this: It was a carefully-planned scheme, and the policeman's leg was gently but firmly pulled with a double object. One was to get us into trouble if we gathered the paradise ducks (for who would believe that when we were shooting), if we had paradise ducks in our possession, that we had not shot them?), and the other object was to make sure where the policeman was on tho first morning of the shooting season, then paradise ducks might be shot with impunity in other parts of the district. And they were shot, according to common talk in the train, one party being said to have shot 146. ! Having heard these explanations the council resolved —" That, having heard the statements of Messrs Brinsley and Rutherford, and read tho letter from Mr Cowie —all three absolutely denying having shot any ' paradise ducks —this council is of opinion that there is no evidence of these gentlemen having in any way committed a breach of the law,"and that the Inspector of Police be informed accordingly." r .' t Also—" That, owing to tho rumours afloat regarding this incident, it is desirable, in the interests of true sport, that the three gentlemen prepare a short statement of what transpired for publication in the press, and that before publishing such statement the same be submitted to the president." Finally it was resolved —" That the president interview the Inspector of Police with a view to getting further evidence as to the men, being seen at the lagoon, and that thereafter there be published in the papers the police report, with the reply from Messrs Brinsley, Rutherford, and Cowie." •.•"',', So far no report has been received by Mr Chisholm from Inspector Mitchell.