SNEAK THIEVES AT WORK.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 62, 24 January 1913, Page 2

SNEAK THIEVES AT WORK.

Getting Cheap Potatoes. Irritating Series of Thefts. Man Caught and Sent to Gaol. For some months past a number of , settlers about Pukekohe have been ; subjected to a series ol annoying < garden and fowl-house thefts. According to the story told in the Magistrate's Court, Pukekohe, on Wednesday morning there has been quite a round of garden-lifting operations, regularly conducted. FIFTEEN FOWLS SHORT. Now and then the produce appears to have had a little "relish" added. It is related that on one occasion, when a distinguished member of the enemy had been taken, an old Maori chief returned thanks, Baying: "That will make a relish for my potatoes." Constable Willcocks, however, told the Bench on Wednesday that Mr Reekie, at the nursing home on the hill, had a great number of fowls and on one occasion the discovery was made of three fowls with their necks wrung, the birds having been dropped over ths fence. This Ud to a count-up and it was found that the poultry-stock list was fifteen head short. Ine roost thief most evidently had been at work to provide a relish fo< the potatoes stolon from some other property. OTHER PKODUCE TAKEN Amongst other places visited Mr A. F Davsh has paid nocturnal toll several times irem his potato fields, while Mr P. J. McGovern has had the privilege of furnishing the garden raiders with pots-ful of his best cabbages. Mr K. McGough has also suffered considerable annoyance and lo«s by a series of visits to his potato and onion patche*. A MIDNIGHT ARREST. All these experiences culminated in an arrest about midnight on Tuesday, and in the appearance in Court on Wednesday morning of Donald McDonald, a young: man of sandy complexion. McDonald was , charged with stealing potatoes to the value of 3s, the property of ( Robert McGough. "I plead not guilty," said the ! acnussd when" the charge was read, ' "I never got the potatoes and never had anything to do with it." Addressing the rlench (Messrs J. , T. Stembridge and '. K. Lawrie, J.'sP.) Constable Willcocks told the tale of repeated thefts, as substanti--1 ally outlined above. ' MR McGOUGH'S STORY. i R. McGough's story showed that I the thieves, wl.never they were, were ' up against a tough proposition, and ■ it was McDonald who had the mis- ! fortune to be caught. His place, - Mr McGough said, had been visited l on many occasions, potatoes and onions being taken. Since a week before Christmas he had been 3 trouhled. A fortnight before he ' thought his potatoes were ready to • be dug the first thefts commenced. | Evidently somebody else disagreed ' witb his judgment ard thought they 3 were ready and started digging them. 1 Lately, tney came too often and he ' got tired of it and sat up o' nightj. 3 He must have lost a dozen nights - in this way. At about 12 o'clock on Tuesday night he was tired of i waiting and was about to return to , bed disappointed, when he saw two i men running along the road to his 1 property. Thty evidently knew the ? paddock pretty well and soon made i up their minds where to go. The 3 potatoes were in bags and the accused i cut one of them open and began fill--1 ing a smaller bag. That's far - enough, thought Mr McGough, and 1 he dashed for the pair. As both ran away he singled out his man and i after a smart chase caught him and ? hauled bim off to the police station. i That was all. t Constable Willcocks: On the way a to the station did he make you any e offer? z Mr McGough: Yes, he offered me . a sovereign to say nothing about it . I refused that, saying "You might i have stolen that too, same as my - potatoes." Then accused said: e "Come to No. 5 and we'll give you . anything." i It was explained later that No. 5 t is the whare at which .accused lived while employed on the railway works. Accused, to Mr McGough ."Did you catch me' with the potatoes? r Mr McGough: "Yes." " I AM VERY SORRY."

Accused addressing the Bench said : "I am very sorry When I woke in the cell this, morning I thought I must have been arrested for drunkenness. 1 had a few drinks last night, —and I am very Korry," he added. Constable Willcocks pointed out ttiat Mr McGough had said accused was quite sober and that evidence the constable confirmed. Not only did both the men concerned in the theft run along the road >to McGough's place, but Mr McGougn had to chase the accused three or four times round the paddock before he caught him. Accused was getting 9s a day; a gocd deal of his money went to the hotel in drink and he't: he was stealing potatoes Accused: "I never had a policeman's hand on me before, and never had anything fo do with courts or law. This is a terrible degradation. At times 1 have been under the influence of liquor and lost my memory altogether. The fdlows told rne afterwards what I had been doing and I kmvi nothing about it." Mr Stembridge: "Do you mean to say that the liquor has got vou down to that exUfct, and yet you have never been able to pull yourself together and give it up?" Accused: "I have to admit it. You have the .evidence hefore you." Constable Willcocks said they could have brougt a more serious charge, but it was put io this form so that the Justices might deal with it. He asked that au example he made of this case, i therwise they would never be able to stop these thefts. Mr Stembridge: l'he sentence is thai you be imprisoned in Mount Eden gaol for fourteen days. Prisoner broke-down and again declared that he had never before been under the law. Mr Lawrie: We don't think this imprisonment will do you any good, but this sort of thing must be stopped!