PATRIOTIC APPEAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4995, 2 July 1926, Page 2

PATRIOTIC APPEAL.

AUCTION SALE INCIDENT. HIGH BIDS FOR STOLEN CATTLE. During the progress o£ a sale pear Te Aroha in 1916 a young man drove in ,a mob of cattle which he asked the auctioneer to put up for sale. There were three pens of them altogether, and the auctioneer had disposed of. one pen when the young fellow approached him and mentioned that he would have to bustle along as he was due in cajnp. The auctioneer, fired by patriotic fervour, made a speech extolling the sacrifices of young meh selling out to serve their country, and as a result of his rhetoric the two remaining pens brought in £2 per head more than the ruling prices. He then did an unprecedented thing. He told the gathering that when he had disposed of the first pen he wag unaware that the vendor had enlisted, and said that although he had already sold the first pen he would now ask permission of the purchasers to put the cattle up again. Permission was readily giveai, and as a result the cattle in the first pen also brought ap additional £2 per head. It was only after the young “patriot” had got well a, way with his money that it was discovered that the cattle were stolen. Later the culprit was arrested and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. When arrested he had in his possession a sum of. jnoney which the judge ordered to be impounded pending possible claims against it This money is still in the hands of the. Crown Solicitor, Mr H. T. Gillies, a.t Hamilton, who is now asking the Court for directions as to its disposal. It is anticipated that it will be ordered to be placed in the Public Treasury.