Just a Feather.

Manawatu Herald, 6 May 1902, Page 3

Just a Feather.

»A straw serves to show which way the wind blows,” and a feather sometimes the mischief that has been done. A young man passed the night annexing poultry belonging to whom it may concern, got thirsty the following morning and hied unto a pub for a drink. Working by day and by night tends to carelessness in dress, and the thirsty one omitted to change his coat which bore serious red marks indicative of the life blood of something. His thirst was hard to quench, the result being just the taking of a wee drapie too much, for which offence he soon found himself in the strong arms of the law. The coat suggested some deed of violence, and a robbery of hen roosts having been reported to the police the culprit was deemed worthy of closer inspection. Curious! but in his coat pocket were found some fowls feathers. A search warrant revealed at his home very nearly twenty birds plucked and cleaned. Feathers and heads and birds were marched to the lookup on the charge of being illegally on the premises, the sight of which caused the accused to own up to bit midnight crime.