Sheep Stealing.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1777, 30 December 1885, Page 3

Sheep Stealing.

I'o fAt; Editor of iht Standard

Sib,—l trust you will give mo space for tLia klter, as the subject is a very serious obj to many of vour readers.

On every side one hears complaints of sheep being stolen, and there is no doubt but that a set of scoundrels are living on the striving settlers. The ease that has just been tried UtL.re two J.IVs, shows us the difficulty of obtaining a conviction, even when missing sheep are found in a Blaughter-houae ; for what purpose they were there, and it is beyond me to express an opinion, bat we know for what purpose sheep or lambs (as it was in this c.-i Set, ate generally in such a place, and those it appears had been in the slaughter-house t ie greater part of one day, and it was allowed t :ey were there by mistake. Lambs do nut go into slaughter iiouses by mistake ; the only reason I should venture to give for their dung so—that is to get into such a very objectionable place by their own free will — ould be that their mothers bad been taken hum them somewhere about the slaughterhouse a very short time before. Any experienced sheep farmer well knows that lambs will not leave the spot from where they have bad their mothers taken from them for many hours or even days.

Ido not blame or accuse anyone, but ail 1 can remark is, that upon the circumstances as wo heir them, it does seem most extraordinary that the crime cannot be braught home to rue thief whoever he may be. The final proceedings of the court were that the case was dismissed and the accused left the court h.nocent ; they at the same time caused an otder to be issued that the four lambs that bid been in the accused's slaughter-house, by his own admission the greater part of one day, should be returned to the rightful owner, troth whose property some live miles away tha lambs had strayed—strayed into a daughter iiuuso even into that spot whore tueir little wizauds are cut, and the gambles lung over their heads.

Then as to the ears of tbo sheep that had teen disfigured. Surely this la a crime by whoi vot it is committed, and should uot stops be taken to have the law carried , out in this matter. My object in writing this is to show that someone is responsible for this dime not being suer-ted home to the thief, whoever be nnv be. I am, dm,, A WiTSKSS.