Salty fate promised for a thief

This from the Auckland Evening Star, 12 June 1873.

We have been moved by several residents at North Shore to make known to all whom it may concern that petty depredations have been frequently committed at night in that district within the past eight days. In some cases turkeys and other feathered bipeds have disappeared, in others clothes lines have been lightened, and the depredator, who is asserted to not belong to that suburb, did not even respect "the bridge that carried him over," for the ungrateful individual went on board the Enterprise ferry steamer, and in the absence of the Captain entered his cabin and helped himself to change. But there is a remnant of honesty, or some other sentiment in the fellow, for although there were twenty shillings of change he took only twelve and sixpence as sufficient for his pressing wants, leaving seven and sixpence to the skipper.

But notwithstanding this discriminating taste several residents have expressed the determination to nab the prowler. One says he will place "salt on his tail,", as people catch the swallows, and that he will do it with salt, and that if he observes the man during the night watches prowling about his verandah or his outhouses he "will pepper his bottom," and he asks us to ask others to go and do likewise. The idea is certainly an excellent one, and we recommend our friends at North Shore to think of salt.