POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1785, 10 April 1874, Page 3

POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

(Before W. Frasek, Esq., 8.M.)

HoBSB. WaNDEBING. — fiewiti Wag charged with allowing a horse to wander. —Fined 2j 6d, and oosts. . < Negleot to Suppobt a Daughtbb.— Mary Ann Long was oharged with neglecting to support her , destitute ■ daughter.—Defendant did not appear. The summons had been served in. Auckland. The information had been laid by Catherine Martin, who also did not appear when called upon. i Shooting Pheasants out of Season. —Jurof Leatham, Thomas Boyle, Charles Bell were charged with being_ unlawfully with dogs and guns in pursuit of game on the, 6th April, the said day not being within the period fixed by proclamation during which game may be killed or pursued.—Air Tyler appeared' for tno defendants, and pleaded not guilty.—Mr Sullen put in a Gazette declaring that game might ~ be shot during May, June, and.July.— Constable G-raoe deposed: On the 6th of the present month I was detailed on. special duty for the.protection of animals under the game laws* About half-past . six o'clock tliat morning I was'at the rear of Air Banks's paddock, , Parawai. I saw ■the defendants with guns. I first sm Boyle coming along. He was carrying a gin, crouching along, I next heard a man hunting with a dog. He passed near where I was concealed, he going, in the paddock and the dog _in the sorub. Ho . went down some distance and rested.' He had a gun. Boylo was in front in aa open space; The man hailed Boyle to sea if he knew where that cook'lighted. The ' man said he was a fine bird, and that ha lighted here some place. Boyle said to come in straight. The man with the,gun and dog was Leatham. At that time the V dog was close up to me and barked where I was in the bush. Leatham was withinthree .yards of me, and • Boyle about sixty. On the dog making a noise, 1' exposed myself, when Leatham said, "Who . told you we were ooming out to shoot ?" LeatUam had a smooth-bore gun, which was capped 'and loaded. I asked Leatham what ho intended to shoot, when he said he ft was going to shoot ducks or pigeons. I hailed' Boyle, when he went away. Presently Bell - oame along the track carrying a gun, and having a dog with him. Bell, said he was going to the bush to shoot pigeons. The evening I served the summonses on defendants, Leatham said it was hard after gating a license that he was not allowed to shoot. I asked him what he intended to shoot. He slid pheasants; or anything, Boyle at first denied" that he was there,; but afterwards said he was there, and that he had gone to shcot pigeons.-By v Jlr Tyler: That was an unlikely placed to find pigeons. I. have not the least doabt they were after pheasants. I am aware they were allowed to shoot, pigeons or ducks. I did not know they had got a license to shoot-that they had got a license to buy . powder. Boyle had his gun in both hands, and walking along, apparently set for a shot. The dog accompanying Leatham was a. blaok retriever. Leatham ' said he had asked Mr Balleu where the boundary was between pheasants and pigeons. He seemed to know, that he - could shoot ducks or pigeons, but not' 'pheasants.-Mr Tyler said the case must fail, as there was no proof that the constable was a ranger under the Act.—His Worship said a constable had. no power to lay ao information. He did not . see how the objection oould be got over.The case'would be dismissed,—Mr Tyler applied for oosts against the informant.' —His Worship would not give costs, and said'he thought the defendants were lucky in escaping,as ha considered.the. evidence showed they were in pursuit of game. .