SUPREME COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3627, 7 October 1874, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. Tuesday, October 6. (Before His Honor Mr Justice Chapman and a Common Jury.) FRAUD. Sydney George Alexander was charged with obtaining the sura of L2 from i aniel Sinclair, by means of false pretences, viz , that be had tal ely stated that he had purchased the htar and Garter Hotel at etamaru. The jury, after bearing the evidence, found the prisoner guilty, and sentence was deferred. Wednesday, October 7. CATTLE STEALING, John Blakely, on remand, was indicted for having, on July 28, stolen one ox, the property of James Henry Holland and others. Mr Barton defended. The Crown Prosecutor stated the facts. Prisoner was indicted for having stolen an ox, the property of Mr Holland ;nd hi* partners, ruuliolders in the neighborhood of B aekstoae Hill, and the beast was brought by one Patterson, a shepherd in their employment, from Port Molyneux. It was knocked up on the way, and left at the farm of aj man named Atk ns, a settler at Lauder Creek, who keeps a dairy there. The beast was then white in color, the distinguishing mark being that it had a few red hairs on the top of One of its ears. Pat; erson speaks most distinctly as to its identification, and he was in a position to do so, for he had driven it from Pert vlolyneux to Atkins’s, which opeupied altogether about eight days, during the whole of which time he bad it under his eye, The identification did noc depend on Patterson alone, as it was turned out and remained ou A tkins’s run for a long time, ihe beast was seen frequently by Atkins and his son-in-law, named Martin. The first evidence that connected prisoner with the beast was, that some time in March prisoner was seen by young Martin to drive it away from Atkins’s place, together with some cattle belonging to himself. It was missing for two or three days, and then stray d back to Adkins’s place. On returning, both Atkins and Martin saw a difference in the beast, it having received a “ B ” brand, the end of the tail was cut, its former marks entirely obliterated, and fresh ones put on. It was afterwards sold by prisoner to a batcher named Harrington.. Holland having got information that a beast answering to the description of the one he had lost was about to be slaughtered, went to look for it, and found, the one in Harrington’s possession to be his. Ao one could be safe with cattle if they could be taken way under the mere pretence that they were taken by mistake. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty, and the prisoner was acquitted. The Court adjourned tj.il Monday.