NEIGHBOUR’S QUARRELS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1556, 27 May 1916, Page 2

NEIGHBOUR’S QUARRELS

VENTILATED IN MAGISTRATE'S COURT. At yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, Henry Charles ilkins was charged that on May Idlh he did commit theft of certain milk, the property of Augustus Percy Easton, valued at one shilling. His wife, Fanny Wilkins, was also charged with committing wilful damage to certain milk valued at one shilling, (he properly of complainant, and Roy Greenwood was called upon to answer a charge of using threatening behaviour in a public place with intent to provoke a breach of the peace. All three informations were laid by Augustus Percy Easton.

Mr 11. G. Moore appeared for the informant, and Mr M. H. Oram for the three defendants. As the three cases arose out of the same circumstances, they were all taken together. For the prosecution Mr 'Moore (-ailed the following evidence Augustus Percy Easton, who staled that his wife had been in indifferent health, and the doctor advised that she should use milk from one cow only, instead of from the herd, as in the past. He therefore took a cow from his herd, which were being milked by a man named Boswell on shares, and grazed it on the road in order to keep it separate from (lie others. Mr and Mrs Wilkins had not been too friendly for some time. On Saturday night, May 13th, on going to milk the cow, he found that it had already been milked, and the same thing occurred on Sunday morning On Sunday night he set a watch and saw Mrs Wilkins go and milk the cow on the road. The following morning Jie again watched, in company with his brother Sidney, and about quar-ter-past four saw Wilkins drive the cow to his shed. They waited, and a little later Greenwood drove the cow back from the shed to put her on the road. The animal was then freshly milked. Witness asked Greenwood who milked the cow, and he said, “1 did ; 1 got her off the road." He afterwards said, “They milked her in the shed.” Witness said he had also been annoyed for some time, by writings on his motor shed. On the morning following, Greenwood, Mrs Wilkins and Barbara Proctor came over to his motor shed, and Mrs Wilkins said : “Write it plain, Barbara, so they can read it.” Mrs Wilkins tlien looked over the gale and said to witness : “So there yon are, you dirty cur ; come out and tight Roy." Greenwood then said : “You there, Chinkcy,” and pulled off his coal and challenged witness to tight. Witness advised them to go away, and called to a man named Williams, who came and advised Greenwood to pul on his coat and not be foolish, On Wednesday hist, Mrs Williams had galloped up the road and put her dogs on to the cow, and on Thursday galloped after him ami used filthy language to him, and milled him “a dirty white-livered cur.”

To Mr Omni : Tin* County Council complained Imnit (ho cow grazing on the road, hut (hero wore no other complaints. The* cow was not dangerous to children. He never used abusive language to Mis Wilkins. His brother offered (Greenwood £lO to tell him who drove the cow up I‘rom the road on the .Monday morning.

Joseph Williams stated that he saw Mrs Wilkins milk the cow on the road on the Sunday afternoon. It was a very quiet cow. He was present when Greenwood and .Mrs Wilkins came to Easton's car shed and challenged Easton to tight Greenwood. He advised Greenwood to put on his coat and not be silly.

To Mr Oram : He heard Greenwood say : “Oh. is that you, Chinkey ! Come outside here.” Sidney John Easton said he saw man drive the cow from the road to Wilkins’ shed on the Monday morning. Was only nine feet away from him, and recognised him as Wilkins. He corroborated his brother’s evidence as to the conversation that took place when Greenwood drove the cow back from the shed.

To Mr Oram : He offered Greenwood £lO for information as to who wrote on (lie car shod door. Dr \V. Kerr-Hislop stated (bat ho ordered Mrs Easton milk from one cow that was known to them. To use milk from the whole herd might be detrimental to her health. Duncan 11. Campbell, fanner, Marotiri, stated that the cow in question was a very quiet animal, and was not dangerous to children. This closed the case for the prosecution, and for the defence Mr Oram called :

Fanny Wilkins, who said that she had no grudge against Easton. Easton was grazing a cow on the road, ami it was a source of annoyance’ to Mrs Boswell, a friend of hers. Complaints had been made to the County Council, Iml the cow still remained on the road. .Mrs Boswell complained that she was unable to go along the road with her children, as the animal was dangerous, and witness said: “M ell, 111 milk it, and perhaps that will make him take it off the road.” Witness said she milked the cow on the Sunday night and told Greenwood to milk it on the Monday morning. In front of the ear shed subsequently witness said to Greenwood . lut your coat on ; the coward will ne\er come out while you have it oil. She had never written on Eastons car shed. This week she had attempted to take the cow to the pound, but had not succeeded,

To Mr Moor-e : Did not know what became of the milk on the Monday morning. When her husband saw

the cow in the yard he said ; “Put it on the road, or some one will get into trouble.'’ Neither her husband or herself had spoken to Easton for

four years. Henry Charles Vi ilkins said he did not know that his wife milked Easton’s cow on the Sunday night. On the Monday morning he heard Greenwood and Mrs Wilkins go out. Mrs Wilkins got the cows in. When witness went to the shed Greenwood was there. Witness commenced milking. He saw Greenwood turning a cow back instead of letting it go straight through, as usual. Witness asked why he was doing that, and he said ; “It’s Chinkey’s” (meaning Easton). Witness said : “You had better turn it out on the road as tpiick as you can.” He didn’t know then the cow had been driven in and had been milked. When Greenwood returned he said, “Easton caught me driving the cow and milking it.” Witness said : “Did you milk it ?” and Greenwood said he did. Witness, said : “You had no right to do that,” To Mr Moore : He didn’t know anything about the trouble until the Monday morning. Hoy Greenwood said that on the Monday morning Mrs Wilkins told him to drive Easton’s cow up and milk it. He milked it on to the door of the shed. When he had finished milking it he turned the cow back, and Wilkins asked him what he was doing that for. He told him it was Eatson’.s cow, and Wilkins then said ; “Get it on to the road as soon as possible.” Easton and his brother were near the road, and Sid Easton (‘aught hold of him and offered £lO to tell him who drove (he cow up and who wrote on the car shed. Witness told them that he milked the cow. Conrplainant used insulting language to him. That evening he went over to Easton’s car shed and said ; “Come out on the road and we will finish it for this morning.”

To Mr Moore : AVilliams did not speak to him. Barbara Proeter slated that on the Monday morning she went to the cow slied with Wilkins. He did not go near the road. Ada Boswell said that when they started share milking’ i'or Easton he pointed out two cows that were dangerous and on one occasion rushed at one of his children. To Mr Oram : On Monday saw Easton and Greenwood quarrelling’, and heal’d Easton oiler a “tenner” tor some information. This concluded the evidence. The Magistrate said (his case showed how tends grow in a district. Experiences in Scotland, Ireland. and other countries were that these tends started from nothing, and went on and on until they ended in murder and incendiarism. In this case the trouble started in a row between Easton and Boswell. Mrs Wilkins' sympathies were with Boswell and his wife, and she pulls Greenwood into the trouble, and then also drags the girl Proctor in. This shows a very bad spirit that is growing up in the community. lie wanted to warn them that they must stop these annoyances. lie didn’t think Mr Wilkins knew anything’ about it until afterwards, and there was not sutlicient evidence to convict him. He should, however, have exercised more control over his wife. Both Mrs Wilkins and Greenwood would be convicted and ordered to come up tor sentence when called upon, it they behaved themselves in the future nothing more would be done, but if there was any. more trouble they would also have to answer the present charges. To Greenwood tind Barbara Procter he wished to give a little advice. They should not allow themselves to be drawn into their employers’ quarrels. They should do their work but their employers hud no right to pull them into their troubles. In the present case tye considered Airs Wilkins was to blame.