JUSTICES’ JUSTICE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3789, 29 May 1885, Page 2

JUSTICES’ JUSTICE.

The labor market in Kent, overstocked as elsewhere has been relieved by temporary withdrawal of two able bodied men, says the “Daily News.” Their names are James and Thomas Wilson, brothers, and they have been sent to prison under circumstances which are extraordinary, even in the annals ol Game Laws. According to the evidence for tho prosecution they had been engaged in cutting down wood. On arriving in the morning at the scene of their labor, Thomas took off

bis coat and manfully went to word, James, on the contrary, is charged with “going looking round as if to see if there was anybody about, and then taking up a rabbit ” which had been providentially snared close to the “ cant ” of wood they were engaged upon. James’s investigation seems to have been lacking in thoroughness. A gamekeeper and a policeman were lying hidden close by, and no sooner bad James taken up the rabbit than they pounced upon him, hauled the brothers before the magistrates at Ashford Petty Sessions, where the irate landowners on the Bench sentenced them to 21 day’s imprisonment with hard labor. One or two questions arise upon this very astounding conviction. According to the evidence of the witnesses sneaking in the coppice, Thomas Wilson had no hand in the business, going on quietly with his work when his brother James found the rabbit, wbicb he does not hesitate to declare was put there either by the gamekeeper singlehanded or by the gamekeeper and policeman in confederacy. Again, what was the policeman doing hiding in the coppice in order to obtain a conviction under the game laws? The country ratepayers do not make np his wages for such a service. The case is a very shaky one, upon which no stipendiary magistrate would convict. Taking it in connection with the sentence we have no hesitation in denouncing it as monstrous. For throe weeks’ imprisonment with hard labor, James Wilson might have, almost kicked his wife to death, whilst Thomas might have looked on with absolute impunity. We trust the attention of the Home Secretary will be attracted by a case which illustrates afresh the evil that may be wrought by the practically irresponsible action of amateur magistrates sitting in obscure petty sessions.