VANDALISM NEAR MANGAWEKA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11366, 12 October 1917, Page 5

VANDALISM NEAR MANGAWEKA.

MILES OF FENCES (DESTROYED. DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £250. From OnrOwn Correspondent. Permission bas now been given to publish fuller details of the grossest pieces of vandalism ever experienced in the Rangitikei district, probably in the whole of New Zealand, whereby nearly three miles of fencing were deliberately cut to pieces, with apparently no motive on the part of the perpetrator beyond the satisfying of personal spite. The despicable deed has aroused the liveliest indignation, and great disappointment is experienced at the fact tfaatthei'6 666 ms little hope of bringing the culprit to account, so cunningly were ail traces. of identity bidden, even from expert investigation.

The crime night of Saturday, September 29ih, a beautiful ilidoniight tnight, 'and the opprobrious term, “Moonlighter,” is very applicable In the csae. It is thought by'Eoms that more tpan one person was engaged in the work, but the general opinion inclines to the singnlar. The greatest part of the destruction was carried oat on the property of Mr David Robb, though it a*so extended to Mr McKay Turnbull’s bolding. On the former’s 1 section one fence — seven", wi res—'was'eut no less than 340 times, so that there were something like 2380 cuts Ita the wires, over a length of betWeom two and a half and three mire* Moat of this boundary fence followed the Rangitikel River cliff !i-ne, and in places whole sections had'been cnt out between the posts, rafted np with the slabs and thrown over the cliff. On another half mile the Wires were cut at every post, and then many of them were chopped into small pieces. Considering the present price of labour and material, Mr is estimated at between £2SC-- and £3OO. This gentleman has been’ subjected tojtbia kind|of annoyance intervals during the past* fifteen years, and the deepest sympathy is felt with him in the present outrage. In addition to the boundaries the marauder also cat a few gaps in every one of Mr Robb’s subdivision fences, so that his farm was left as practically one huge paddock. Mr McKay Turnbull’s loss (the fence catting was apparently not intended to do him injnry)though severe enough, is light in comparison with the other. One of his ridge fences was cut twenty times—that is, ten gaps were cut out after which the staples were drawn from the centre posts and the cnt portion of the fence allowed to fail. Two gaps were also cut in the boundary between Messrs Rabb and McKayTnrnbqll. In addition to the destruction of the fenecs, poisoned meat was laid along the whole of the affected lines. The contemptible individual who engineered the gross act showed remarkable cunning and seems I to faave followed the lines of Charles Peace, “the! master criminal who always worked alone”. Nevertheless, it seems a remarkable feat for one man to have walked six miles over rough country, cut fencing wire some 3800 times, laid poison and returned undetected in one night, and the whole thing took place betweon dark and daylight. It is possible, even probable, that the vile deed will be difficult to sheer, home to its still viler originator, yet the settlers all over the district will bo more than pleased if the “Moonlighter” ever has to answer for his doings at the judgment bar of the law.