POULTRYMAN KILLED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18208, 2 October 1933, Page 9

POULTRYMAN KILLED

BATTERED WITH OWN GUN WHILE GUARDING PENS MELBOURNE, Sept. 25. George Joseph Aludford, 4(1. a poultry farmer, was battered to death with the butt of his own shotgun at his [poultry farm at West Preston about 5 a.m. on Saturday. Aludford owned about HUH I birds. Ho and other owners of poultry in the district have lost many birds by theft in recent months, gnil it was Aludford’s custom to keep watch on his pens each night until about midnight, when most of the stealing was done. It is believed that stolen poultry was sold in the busy Saturday morning markets. Some months ago Aludford had a struggle with a thief whom he surprised. To facilitate his watch, Aludford had fitted a Imnk in one of the rows of pens. It is believed that about 5 a.m. on Saturday Mud ford was awakened by the barking of his dog, which was tied up at. the pons. Seeing a thief, he fired two shots with his shot - gun to frighten the man. The gnu was loaded with saltpetre. One charge of .saltpetre might have struck the thief, but. this is not certain, as saltpetre was found afterwards in a fence. Apparently Aludford struggled with the thief. The shotgun was wrested from him, and he was terribly battered about the head w’ith it. The shotgun was broken, and was found near Mudford ’s body.

The shots were heard by a man living near the poultry' man. He left his bed, and, from his back door, lie saw a nuan run across his yard, jump a side fence, and disappear on to a vacant, allotment. The neighbor ran to the police station. Aludford died soon after he had been found.