THEFT OF VEGETABLES

THEFT OF VEGETABLES. George Hunt was charged with stealing 3'd cauliflowers, valued at' XI 13s, the property of Wong Yem, market gardener. Accused was not present when the case was called, and the Magistrate gave instructions for the issue oi a warrant for his arrest. A little later accused appeared and the vase proceeded. He pleaded not guilty, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Complainant said he was a gardener at Belt Road, and on Friday morning he missed 3a cauliflowers, which he valued at Is each. He identified the cauliflowers produced as his property. He had missed caulflowers on previous occasions. Two of the stalks produced were broccoli, and not cauliflower stalks.
C. W- Waldock said he liad visited accused's place on, September 29, and there were no cauliflowers on the property. Last Saturday accused saw witness at his private house, and complained about the police searching his' cart. He said he took the police to his garden and showed them where he had got the cauliflowers from, an suggested, witness should give him a receipt for the caulflowers,. This witness declined to do, and told Hunt he had purchased no cauliflowers from him.
Albert Bayly and J. G. James also gave evidence.
Constable Blaikie, in hi-s evidence, said in consequence of complaints, he visited complainant's garden and saw where the. cauliflowers had been cut. He tracked footprints to the rosW. and also from there tracked new wheel-marks in the direction of Spotswood. His suspicions were aroused, and the next day lie met accused in his cart with his wife in Pioneer Road. Hunt endeavored to trot past witness, but he stopped him ana found 41 cauliflowers in 'his cart- He said he had bought two dozen from a Chinaman the week before, and the rest wore his own growing. Witness went to accused's place at Spotswood, and the place where he said he had cut the cauliflowers had, in witness' opinion, been ploughed a week or so previously. He showed witness some stalks on the ground, which he said were cauliflower stalks, but witness thought them broccoli Accused refused to sell witness any of the cauliflower-! in his cart, so he took possession of those produced, as well as the stalks of broccoli.
After re-hearing some of the witnesses at acciised'-s request, the Magistrate said the case was a clear one. Hunt had previously been convicted of theft, but fines appeared to do no good. He was, therefore, sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labor. Taranaki Daily News , 18 October 1918, Page 8