Strange Confession.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3862, 20 July 1891, Page 3

Strange Confession.

S&eepstealing Extraordinary. Complaints have been rile of late that sheep stealing has assumed alarming proportions in the South Island. The Timaru Herald pub» lishes what purports to be a confession from some of the gentry who have r been carrying oh this business on an extensive scale. The following is the communication: — "Dear Sir, —These few days back I hear a great deal of the cleverness of experts in the case of Gambel and "Wooding. "Well, Sir, I will tell yon they are altogether wrong. It's I and my mate who took them, and to prove these words I will make the following confession: — Early in November last we came by Four Peaks, and took something like fifty of Wooding's sheep, not sighty-three, as he says. This took place about eleven o'clock at night, but we took no black ones, we left them for - Cambell. We also took some from a paddock further down and some from a paddock near. Woodbury township. We took about 800 or 400 of Tripp's hoggets, and some from Denniston, and some from a paddock further down. We took some from Mr Murray's. Six times we took his shorn sheep, the last time nearly 300; we shore the brands off them and re-branded them and earmarked them. He saw them himself afterwards, and knew them not. We also took some from Eerren, near Bangitata. He must be a poor manager, he never missed any, although he mast have taken fully 500 in all at different times. We also took some from Rolleston—a good few abont there. We took over 600 from Postlethwaite since three years, but I never heard he lost any ; and a good fiom Wigleyi and a few from many from the estate at different times. ""' Sir, if I am not correct in this statement, let those gentlemen I have named correct me. We have had three good seasons, but have had many a narrow escape and was never caught and never will be if we can help it."