SHEEP STOLEN FOR FOOD

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1930, Page 6

SHEEP STOLEN FOR FOOD

LABOURER'S PITIFUL STORY. WIFE AND CHILDREN IN’WANT. The pitiful story ’of a man’s struggle to save his wife and • children from starvation was unfold, d at “the Patea Court yesterday,, when Thomas Edward Bills, aged 26, was arraigned, before-Mr. E. F. Hemingway, J.P., and Mr. A. T. Christensen, J.P., to answer charges of sheep-stealing at Manutahi. Accused had nothing to say and- pleaded guilty, being committed to the Supreme Court at \ Wellington for sentence. Bail was allowed, in one -surety of £5O arid accused's own recognisance cf £5O. “I am a married man with a wife and two children,” .said accused in a written statement to the police. “I have been residing in this district since December, 1929, and have had only casual work It lias been a hard job to make ends meet, and on many occasions there has not been sufficient food in '.he house for my wife, and children. “On account of this I havj visited neighbouring farms and taken sheep. 1 do not know how many sheep I have taken, I. took a few from a farmer named Muggeridge and some ffcom. a fanner named Hamilton. I killed the sheep and .used' the meat to.'feed my family. I afterwards buried’ the skins in the land attached to the house I was living in. “I have never been-in any trouble before and would not have, stolen the sheep if I had had money to buy food for my family. I am out of work at the present time.” ’ The charges preferred against accused were that between April I and July 29, 1930, he stole three sheep, valued at £3, the property of Alfred Benjamin Muggeridge, Manutahi, and that, between the same dates, he stole four sheep, valued at £6, the property of Leslie Richard Hamilton, Manutahi. “My inquiries disclosed that accused has undoubtedly been up against it for some considerable time,” said Detective L. Revell, who conducted the prosecution. “He is a married, man with two children, and. his wife is. expecting another. When I visited his house I found that there was neither money nor food about the place, and the family were practically destitute. Until the present proceeding accused has borne an excellent character.”

He knew accused as a farm labourer who had been living in the district since December last, said Mr. A. B. Muggerdge. He had employed accused as a casual labourer at times. Between April 1 and July 29 witness had lost three sheep, which he valued at £3. He had never at any time given accused permission to take sheep from the place. About July 11 accused had shifted from the house he had been living in into one owned by witness. On July 12 witness and a man named O’Neill had ex'amined the ground in the vicinity of th© house accused had been living in and digging operations had disclosed portions of skins and offal. The skins were too decomposed to permit of identification. Michael O’Neill, farm labour, Manutahi, gave similar evidence. Ho had noticed accused* digging in the vicim’y of the house on July 12, ho said. Together with Constable Kelly ho had found further skins and offal. He was able to identify one skin as being o.i a sheep owned by Muggeridge. The suspected thefts had been reported to him on August I,‘said Constable Kelly. For some months accused had been living, in a house on Mrs. O'Sullivan’s property, but on July 11 he had shifted to another house. After digging several holes in the vicinity, of Mrs. O’Sullivan’s . house witness found sheep skins and offal about 15 or 20 "yards away. In company with Detective Revell he interviewed accused on August 3 at Manutahi and the. thefts from Mr. Muggcridge’s were then admitted, accused stating that he killed ' e sheep for meat.

After corroborating the evidence of the previous witness Detective Revell stat id that sheepskins and offal were buried in several places about the grounds of the house. When questioned accused 1mitted having taken sheep from Mr. Muggeridge’s place and made a sta' imeiit.

In connection with the second charge Leslie Richard Hamilton, farmer, Manutahi, said that between April 1 :.nd July 20 he missed four sheep, valued at £6, on different, occasions.. He had never given accused permission bo rcmo e sheep from his property. The skins he had been shown by Constable Kelly were too decomposed to recognise. The thefts had been reported to him on August 1, said Constable Kelly and during the course of his inquiries he found reason to believe that accused might have been the offender. Evidence similar to that given by them in another charge was given by Detective Revell and M. O’Neill.

OPERA HOUSE TALKIES. “THE GIRL. SAID NO.” “The Girl Said No,” William Haines’ new. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer all-talking picture, which will open at the Opera House Talkies, Hawera, to-night, is eaid to be as fine as “Alias Jimmy Valentine,” and deals with the adventures of a young man facing the early stages of business life. Haines plays the early scenes with the same gusto ho exhibited in, “Alias Jimmy Valentine,” and is hammered by responsibility and hard work until ho becomes a real business man. The “rescue,” with several hilariously ..comic angles, the scenes in the brokerage office, showing a typical Wall Street plant in actual operation, the touching family scenes, giving intimate details of his home life, and the delicious clowning with the heroine at the night club are among the highlights of the picture. The supporting cast of “The Girl Said So” im eludes Leila Hyams, last seen, opposite Haines in “Alias Jimmy .Valentine,” Francis X Bushman, jun., the, popular con'tcdy team of Polly Moran and Marie Dressier, Clara Blandrick, William Janney, Junior Coghlan, Phyllis Crane and William V. Mong. A fine varied. programme of ,ta|k,ie. shorts .will be screened' in' : sujpp<sft. z pjsjis,’ for.. |o-jjighf and'to-ihoi'fbw are at Miss Blake’s shop.