ALLEGED HORSE STEALING AT MOUNT SOMERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1736, 10 January 1888, Page 2

ALLEGED HORSE STEALING AT MOUNT SOMERS.

♦ — (" Tlmaru Herald " January 10 ) | At the Resident Magistrate's Court yes* terday before Mr John Jaokaon, J,P,, Jonathan Roberts was charged with stealing on or about tha 6,h mat., (I) a horse, (2) a saddle and bridle, the property of Mr John Hood, Mount Somers. On the application of Inspector Broham the case wad remanded till to-morrow. The circumstances attending tbe case are ai follows : —Jonathan Roberts was m the employ of a station holder as wool preeser until the 4th Inst, when he suddenly diisppeared and almost immediately afterwards a horse, saddle and bridle, belonging to Mr Hood, of Mount Somere, worth m all folly £20, were found to be misting. Tho police at Ashburton was oomuaanloated with and they m turn sent word to Timara. Enquiry at Mr Jonas' sale yards on Saturday revealed the faot that early m the mcrolng a boy bad come m on horeebaok, bearing a letter purporting to be signed by W. Beattle, juor., of Kakaha, m which the writer directed the auctioneer to sell the horse ridden by the boy for what it wonld fetch, Tbe lad was told that be oould have the money at three o'olook bot he did not return. In the meantime tha horse was sold for £13 No one oama for the money and the affair began to look suspicious, viewed m oonneotloo with the police inquiries The lai was found to have come m from Washdyke, and thither Sergeant Livingstone went out m a oab at ten o'olook on Saturday evening. Here he fouDd that the boy, who was perfectly ignorant and innocent of tho matter, had been asked by a man at the Doooftster Hotel, to take a horse and letter into tbe saloyard, and had agreed to do so. This man, the landlord added, was now m bed. Tbe Sergeant going upstairs roused the lodger out of a refreshing sleep, acd brought him into the look-up. What happened subsequently is duly reported.