NOT REGISTERED

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 83, 19 November 1928, Page 4

NOT REGISTERED

A DANGEROUS WEAPON. ! .RIFLE CONFISCATED, As a result of the proceedings at J the Stratford Court tjj-day a rifle belonging t<j John Byrne, labourer, Tangarakau, was ordered to be confiscated. Byrne appeared on two chargeprocuring a Winchester repeating rifle without having a permit and having the rifle in his possession for more than seven days without- having it registered. He pleaded to each charge. Sergeant Bowel said the rifle in question was originally owned at Wellington by one Paton, who registered it. Baton sold the rifle ill 1921 to one Gibson, who did not hare it registered in his name, and record oi the rifle was therefore lost for seme time. Abqnt 2| years ago Byrne purchased it from Gibson, and failed to register it. The weapon was a Winchester repeating rifle, a class which the authorities were very strict about having registered. He would ask for confiscation of the weapon. Defendant said he. had come to the Taranaki back country to fell bush. every year for thirty years, and always took a gun with him. When he bought the. rifle from Gibson he said he. would be taking it into the. uusfi and nothing more would be beard about it. He had not attempted, to register the rifle, as he did not want to get Gibson into trouble for failure to register it. He used jhe. liile for the purpose, of killing wild pigs, which formed, the chief article of diet of contractors in the back country. Mr. B. W, Tate, S.M.* said the rifle was of a very dangerous type to be in private hands, and an order would be made for. its confiscation. Defendant would be lined lUs, with costs 12s, on one charge and convicted and ordered to pay 12s costs on the other.