MAGISTERIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2617, 10 August 1881, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

TIMAKU—THIS DAY. (Before R. Boetham Esq., R.M., and F. Archer Esq., J.P.)' POACHING. John Tozer, was charged with illegally having in bis possession, and offering for sale two hares and two pheasants. Mr Jameson appeared for accused who pleaded not guilty. Ifc appeared from the evidence of Constable Stanley, stationed at Pleasant Point, that on July 15 he observed the defendant with a sack on his shoulder at the Point, and watched him. Defendant saw the constable, and deposited the sack at the back door of the Railway Hotel. The officer then took up his position at the rear of the hotel and waited. Defendant came out two or three times for the sack but did not lift it. The constable then took possession of it and charged Tozer with having the game it contained, two hares and two pheasants, illegally in his possession. Defendant said he had a license, but failed to produce ifc. The constable knew very well he had not got one and told him so. The Bench inflicted a fine of £5, at the same time admitting a sharp rebuke to the accused for his conduct, which must, they said, be punished severely for the efforts of those who had gone to the trouble and expense of acclimatising game were not to bo frustrated by poachers. [Mr Archer here left the Bench]. A JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. Oscar Laurence Brown and William Potter were charged with stealing pigeons and fowls, of the value of £6 11s, the property of Mr F. Archer. The boys admitted tho offence. Potter’s father and Brown’s mother were present. In reply to (ho Bench Potter senior said that on Thursday the hoys went out together, and this hoy returned home with a number of pigeons and fowls. The pigeons lie said they had trapped supposing them to be wild. Tho fowls he said Jiad been given to him by a woman for helping her to get a pig out of a ditch. His boy was a very good boy and ho had never had any fault to find with him. After all such conduct was only boy-like. Mrs Brown knew nothihg about the pigeons. The fowls, her son had told her, had been given him for helping a man with some horses.

Mr Beetham said that he could not agree with Mr Potter in thinking the offence an unimportant one. It wasou the contrary a very serious matter and the boys must be punished as an example to others. They had not only stolen these birds hut had told their parents deliberate h’es to screen themselves.

Inspector Pender said the parents of both boys were very respectable people. He was afraid Brown had been the worst boy of the two.

His Worship after severely lecturing the boys, sentenced them to be imprisoned for 24 hours each, and also to receive 12 strokes with a birch rod each. The boys were to be kept separate from the other prisoners. The Court then adjourned.