HOW A RABBITER FED HIS DOGS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1445, 15 January 1887, Page 3

HOW A RABBITER FED HIS DOGS

The Tuaptka Times gites the following* ! instance of how a Beaumont rabbit er fed his doga:-On Monday afternoon a rabblter named Park Pitter waa brought into Lawrence by Constable Daubney and lodged In the look up, charged with a moat audaoioua offence. It appears from the admission of accused hlmeelf and tho statement of an eye-witness m the person of a Chinaman, that Pitter, who resides In a Btnall cottage near the pant, proceeded down the bank of the river on Saturday afternoon m flearoh of some food for his dogs. On arriving at the dubH about two mileß down he onrae acroas a ! mob of horses, which he rounded into a corner, and placing his belt round the ' seek of one he led it a^ray into tha bueh and shot it. He loit no time m severing the head from the body, and so that the oarcaes might not be identified the head waa thiown Into the river. He then proceedid to rip up the body, that hl« numerous dogs might eat their fill. On the following afternoon, John Long, of Taapeka Flat, at present residing at Beaumont, while Be^rohin^ m the vlcfnlly of the bush for his horse, was accosted by a Chinaman who bad been a silent witness to the performance the previous day. John deßoribed the horse ia detail, and mentioned how and by whom it bad been killed. Long immediately reported the matter to the poHoe, and on Monday morning Constable Daubney prooeeded to the scene, and after investigating the circumstances, arreoted the onlprlt. Pitter at once admitted his guilt, aud by way of emphasising his regret at what he had done, shed tears voluminously, He aald he had been Idle for some time, and as he had not left his house for several days, bis dogs were crying out with hunger. The weather was too hot for rabbiting, and thinking that the horse flesh was good enough to appease their appetite, and that a whole carpasa would last for t o,me time, he treated them to one. He wa« under the impression, that the b.orße belonged to Craig and Co. , and Intended to pay for It.