POLICE COURT.—Tins Day.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1699, 29 July 1875, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—Tins Day.

(Before Messrs Dargaville and Newman.)

PARENTAL NEGLECT.

Susan Wetherell was brought up on warrant on charge of failing to contribute towards the support of her two children in the Industrial school, Howe-street, arrears due £] 103.

Defendant said she had other children to support by her work, bub her wages were irregular Mr Broham said the woman promised to pay 2s 6d a waek, a very small sum, and he believed Hhe could pay if she liked but, like others, she would not without the intervention of the Court; her husband had deserted her. The B?nch allowed fourteen days for the payment of arrears, or she must go to prison; she was row earning good money, and the order of the Court mush be attended to. A VUNAWAY SAILOR. George Nichols, charged with deserting from H.M.s. Dido, wag ordered back to the ship. BREACH OF SHEEP ACT. Charles A. Dowden was charged with a breach of the Sheep Act, at the instance of Mr Lewis, the Inspector, for having sheep in his possession infected with scab. Mr J. B. Ilussell for the prosecution and Mr Joy for defendant. . Mr Ilussell opened the case, and said that this was a matter of grave importance to the public, and, after tendering the Act and other documents in evidence, he would call witnesses in proof of the charge against Mr Dowden. Mr Lewis, Inspector of Sheep for the Auckland district, deposed that in June last he attended Mr Buckland's sale yard, in the Great South Koad, where he saw the sheep, which defendant admitted were his, and had been driven from Otahuhu by his son. He examined the sheep, and one of them was infected. He called the attention of Messrs Graham, Shepherd, and Dilworth, and they agreed in opinion that the sheep were scabby. He waited some ten days before taking proceedings. He went to defendant's farm, and found him and his son bottling the sheep, that was washing them with a certain liquid. He asked what was his object in bottling them, when he said it was for the purpose of killing vermia.

To Mr Joy: lie shewed scab on one of those sheep, which was of a different lot. Mr Joy : I believe where one sheep is infected with scab, the whole flock may be infected, or as Dr. Watts says :—

One sickly sheep infects the flock And poisons all the rest. f Mr Lewis : That is so as far as my experience goes. Mr Russell said the lines were proverbial and no doubt true.

He, Mr. Lewis, examined the sheep on the 24th June, but it was possible to remove all traces of scab within a month after dipping ; he could not say what treatment the sheep had received; kerosene would remove it. He met two veterinary surgeons at the farm on the 6th July, but he did not remember their statement; one of them thought it was not scab, when he replied that if it was not, he knew nothing about the matter. He had employed Mr. McLaughlan, but he had made a mistake, and he should never employ him as an assistant again ; he would also acknowledge that he had made mistakes.

To Mr. Russell: The bottling process is to check the progress of scab. Mr. James Dilworth next gave evidence ; he was a farmer at Remuera, and had some experience in sheep ; he knew scab when he saw it j he was told that there were scabby sheep at Buckland's sale yards on the 24th June. Mr Lewis drew his attention to one sheep which was scabby, he had no doubt whatever about it.

t Mr Thomas Shepperd, farmer, had almost sixty years experience among sheep ; he was at the sale yards on that day, and simply corroborated the evidence of Mr Dilworth.

Mr. William Ferguson, a shepherd of 40 years experience among sheep, gave similar testimony.

To Mr. Joy : Are you aure the sheep belonged to Mr. Bowden ?

Mr. Russell abjected. The Bench said it would protect the witness, and desired Mr. Joy to put his qnestions one at a time.

Mr. Joy then addressed the Bench for his client, and believed he should be able to shew that in this case, as in others, Mr. Lewis had made a mistake, notwithstanding the evidence on the side of the Inspector. Charles Bowden, junr., son of defendant, remembered driving hia father's sheep, on the day in question, to Mr Buckland's yard.

Mr Lewis, oil that occasion, marked o _i the sheep on the head, wiich was sn? «l quently carted home, and put into a sens * •,' pen. A permanent mark was then put n that sheep, which has since been e„n J- 1*11 ■ by Messrs McLaughlin, Braddelv w" 6. Calvert, Austen, and McLeod. Mr t!''' pronounced anotner sheep infected whelu! 5 came to the farm. These two sheep had n kept separate until yesterday, when died. uffii Frederick Young was on a visit tn! C Mr Bowden's at the time ahd helped to M the sheep to the sale yard. Be then r scribed what took place in accordance Jit previous statements. ' '» James Bradley a small farmer of Otahnt, had examined the sheep since, butdis eo yev c V no traces of scrub ; there was a red mark one but the skin was clean. He was cert° -11 it was not scrub. taßl Robert Bradley, Henry Bobey, Th oni Inwood, farmers, and five other witness who had had considerable experience amo sheep, were of opinion, after minutely ip amining them, that the sheep were n i scabby. * Counsel addressed the Court, when th ■ Worships considered that the charge uJ been proved; but as the defendant had _* attempted concealment, the fine would o_l be £5 and costs. J