THE LATE DOG CASK.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 549, 18 October 1881, Page 2

THE LATE DOG CASK.

To the Editor

Sir, —Will you kindly allow me a small space in your columns relative to i clog case that was hoard in the R.M. Court a few days ago, between Robert Main and myself. Ist. I take a part of William Shadbolt's evidence in court, where he dis tinctly swears that be saw tbe dog in question worrying a lamb, but bad no gun with him at that time, but afterwards saw the dog with young Close in my own paddock, and pelted him away with stones. i This part of the evidence was conoboratcd by young Close, William Shadbolt afterwards saw the sheep and lambs being driven all over the run, went up tho run to see what was wrong, and seeing the dog, went back home to get his gun. He sent the boy Bryant to John Wallace to g< _ some cartridges. It would take about half an hour to go to and from the place in question, to where the dog was shot, which was about a quarter of a mile from the paddock rented by Mr Lee, and not two chains, as stated by Joseph Barwick. The dog might possibly have run that dis tance after ho was shot before he dropped. Another witness, Arthur Ilussey, represented himself as a judge of dogs and a breeder of terriers, ami I should like to know if Mr Ilussey bred this particular terrier himself, and I should also like t<. know from this gentleman, whether this little terrier dog, if it could worry a cat could not worry a helpless lamb of three weeks old, as the question before the court was, that it had woriied a lamb, and not a sheep. Relative to John Wallace's evidence respecting a conversation with Bryant, I should like to know from him whether when he warned Main to tie his dog up, as he states, it was not in consequence of this most valuable dog worrying a cat ; ami further, the boy Bryant in his evidence distinctly swears that he saw the dog worrying a lamb in the creek ; and I should like to know from any person with common sense if the dog had not been there, could he have been shot? and if he was there, for what purpose was he there ? Could you inform me who is the valuator of dogs, or who valued this particular dog in question, as it appears to me that it would pay any person better to breed this class of dogs tiian to breed sheep or cattle, when they can be valued at £8 10s each ; and further, 1 should like to ask Robert Main whether he had not this same nice little dog, in company with other dogs, hunting my sheep and lambs on Saturday, the 24th day of September, when one of my ewes was driven from its lamb and thou driven under the hotel verandah, or into the kitchen, and afterwards driven into my paddock with my sheep kept there for killing and its lamb left out on the road to perish. Perhaps this was what was termed quiet driving by one of the witnesses in the court. I have since found out that tin's same little black dog was seen worrying a lamb on my sheep rcn on the 13th day of September, as was stated in tiie boy Bryant's evidence, who said that this same dog was seen worrying a lamb three weeks previous. Lastly, I find a live bailiff—a very decent little fellow—stepped into tuy store a day or two ago with a distress warrant for the case given against me in the R.M. Court pi my absence, because perhaps I was five or ten minutes behind time, and just for this, I have a live bailiff put into my place with a distress warrant. Al though I knew the casu had been given against me, I bad not been informed what was the decision of the Court, and had

never been told what wore tho costs of tho case, nor was I ever asked for payment until 1 was shown the distress warrant. Main in his evidence distinctly stated th_t he did not believe that W. Shadbolt had any malice or ill feeling against him whatever, and it was W. Shadbolt that shot the dog. In my evidence in the R.M. Court, I believe I swore that the lamb was not dead when taken out o£ creel-, bat was in such .a state that I had it killed nnd dressed by the butcher, knowing tho lamb could not live, on purpose to preserve the skin to show that tho neck and fore quarters of the lamb bad been gnawed by the dog, and if I thought it had been necessary I could havo called Mr James Hartley, the bailiff, to whom I showed the forequarter., of tho lamb at the time when lie served me with the summons, and that gentleman could have proved tho manner in which the lamb had been bitten and torn by the dog. I had it killed because it was impossible for it to live.

B. SHADBOLT. Head of the Bay, October 14.