TURKEYS SHOT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 694, 20 June 1929, Page 6

TURKEYS SHOT

QUARTET FACES THEFT CHARGE THOUGHT BIRDS WERE WILD (From, Our Own Correspondent) PUKEKOHE, Wednesday. A shooting party /to Waikato Heads recently resulted in a quartet of shooters, George Baker, Robert Elborn, Frederick Trevenna and Eldon Trevenna, of Otahuhu, facing charges in the Police Court of stealing a dozen turkeys by shooting, and wilful damage. Evidence by Lawrence Cox, farm manager, showed that he was summoned to where defendants had shot the turkeys on the property. Three other shooters who had permission to seek rabbits had held the quartet pending his arrival. Notices had _ been erected at several places forbidding shooting or trespass. The turkeys were some of a flock of 200 on the property and were not wild birds. Defendants gave their names when asked and offered to pay the cost, but witness declined, saying he was going to make an example of them. A defendant, Baker, said lie had been advised by a roadman to go on to the property as there were plenty of wild turkeys. They did not see several notices, but only one. which was not readable. They observed another party shoot a pair of birds and followed suit. After shooting four turkeys defendants crossed the fence to follow' the turkeys, and were hailed by two men, and they waited the arrival of the farm manager. The magistrate reserved his decision.