Feilding R.M. Court

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 148, 11 June 1892, Page 2

Feilding R.M. Court

(Before Mr Brabant, R.M.) {Continued from last issue.) J. Towers and J. Williamson v. J« Gordon ; claim, £20 for alleged damage to sheep by dogs. Mr Sandilands for plaintiff, and Mr Prior for defendant. James Williamson, farmer, of Ta^nui, deposed to owning a flock of ewes in lamb jointly with the other plaintiff on 15th May last; put them into a sale at Bulls, but they were not sold, and were pat into a paddock in Bulls. Mr Lewis brought them to Awahuri, and it was found that .40 had been badly bitten; several had since , died ; the living ones would be effected in the lambing season by the worrying they had received. Cross-examined : Was offered 5s dd per head for them privately, and 4s 9d was the highest bid at the auction ; drore 524 to Bulls, and there were seven short when they came home. John H. Towers, farmer and sheep dealer at Bunnytborpe, gave similar evidence. The flock originally consisted of 624, and 100 were sold at 6s on the road. Cross-examined : The sheep had been driven 48 miles altogether, i Very-r^ly would any drop out on such a" journey from a flock of tbat size ; would not say if dogs running among ewes would do more barm if they were near lambing time than if the season was further off. William Lewis and William Fergusson also gave evidence for the plaintiff. The defendant was present, but not being in a condition to. give evidence none w as-called for the defence. His Worship regretted haying to give judgment in the absence of any evidence for the defence. He would have liked; stronger proof of the defenaant's ownership of the dog, and as the plain* tiffs would not consent to an adjourn ment, he could only give judgment on such c vide ace as was before him, which would be for £8 Bs, with costs, witnesses' expenses, and solicitor's fee ; total, £13 Bs. ':■;; The Court then adjourned.