Feilding Police Court

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 13, 15 July 1897, Page 2

Feilding Police Court

Wednbs'ay. July 14. (Before H L. Si,:rwi! ; „ -, W. A. L Bailey, J'lf i The cite Police v. Eruaet Read, on a charge of coaling it bicycl«, the property of Mr F. G. Woolidis was continued nfier we went to press yesterday »s follows : — 6. W. Fowies deposed so selling a lady's Raglan bicycle to Mr Woolliujb; witness deicribed (he machine ; the machine produced was altered in certain respects (described) to that which Mr Woollama purohased ; could not positively identify the bicycle produced as the one sold to Mr Woollams ; the bicyole produced bore a resemblance in some reßpeota (named) to that sold to Mr Woollams. To Mr Sandilands : The machine was numbered, but witness did not take the number when ha sold it. E. Charles deposed : Hae* a conversaturn with accused about a bicycle, the latter stating he had paid 30s for it to a Mr Freyburn. C. H. Hosking deposed : Accused bad been id witness' employ for about two months, and left on October 10th 1896, accused did not have a bicycle while in witness' employ to bis (witness 1 ) knowledge; did some repairs for accused afterwards ; sold accused a tyre bladder on March 3rd of this year ; did not see the bicycle but the bind wheel was brought; sold rubber handle grips to accused. To Mr Sandilands : Was official repairer to the N.Z Cyclists' Touring Club; there were a number of Raglan machines with similar chain attachments to the one produced, the general structure of Raglan bicycles was similar. Jas. McLeod was called bat bis evidence bad no material bearing on the case, Frank A. Grantbam deposed : About two months ago sold accused a gent's bicycle and took a lady's bicycle in part payment. To Mr Sandilands : The machine wiU dobs got from the accused was in a bad state ; did not know the make of it ; considered £5 was the full value of the machine when witness purchased it. Wen. Lewis deposed to purchasing the machine (produced) from F. A. Grantbam for £10 ; be bad made alterations (described; to the machine. Constable Tuohy deposed : On lha morning of June 19th had a conversation with accussd whom witness told ha was making enquiries abont Mr Woollam's tto!en bioTcle, and asked bim how he (accused) could explain how he not the bieyole be cold (o MrGrantham; accused said he bought it lrom a young man named Freyburn for 30s. Mounted Constable F. J. Healey deposed to arresting accused on the charge. Constable Tuoby, at this stage, asked that the charge be altered to one of reeeiring property knowing the same to have been stolen. Mr Sandilands offered no objection to the charge being amended. The Bench agreed to the amendment. Mr Sandilands contended that there was no proof that the bicycle in Oontt was the one stolen from Mr Woollams, ox tbat it was a stolon machine, and he asked tbat the information be dismissed. The Bench decided to bear the evidence for the defence. For the defence — Frederick Kite deposed to haying met accused about six or eight months ago going up the railway line (Beattie street) ; accused had a bicycle with bim ; be was leading tbe bicycle as be couldn't ride ; accused said be gave 30s for tbe " bike." Mrs A. Diamond deposed : Was mother of the accused ; remembered her son bringing a bicycle home sometime in the beginning of October ; the lad told witness he had bought tbe machine for 80s from a parson named Freyburn, whcrt accused said bs thought worked at Feck's ; no seciet was made of the fact that he bad tbe machine ; accused tried to ride it but could not ; heard tbat her son was accused of taking a machine from Mr Woollams and went to see the latter to ask if there was any troth in the report ; went to see Mr Woollams against her son's wish ; it was tha end of October before her son conld ride a " bike " ; before accused exchanged the bicycle with Grantham, the latter came to witness' house for witness to sign the agreement. Cross-examined by Constable Tuohy : Whan witness called on Mr Woollams offered no money but asked if were not possible to settle it out of court. Ernest Haycock deposed : On Oot. 29tb or 30th first saw witness with a " bike " I assisted him to learn to ride the " bike." Percy Neill deposed to teeing accused about two months before Christmas trying to ride a " bike " ; accused told witness he purchased the machine from a young man who was leaving Feilding for 80s. David Reid deposed to seeing accused with a " bike " at Makino in the seoend week in October ; accused made do secret of haying the machine. John F. Bishop gave evidence similsr to previous witnesses and stated he had offered 50s for the machine when be first saw it. Alexander Managh deposed to attempting to ride a bicycle at Beaconsfisld belonging to acensed aid to breaking a bar under tbe seat ; the machine looked old. Albert Harrison gave corroborate evieence; it wus through witness Grantham came to terms with accused about tha exchange of bicycles ; the acouHed mads the exchange at wi'ness' snggestion. Ernest Bead the (accused) deposed ; Did not steal the bicycle nor did he receive one known to be stolen ; obtained the bicycle he exchanged to Grantham from a man giving his name as Freybnrn ; this was about the second week in October; met the man Freyburn outside Car thaw's between 10 and 12 o'olook, Freyburn offered the " bike " to witness for 30s as he was going away and wanted to get rid of it ; told Freyburn he had oot 30* with taiao, but 22s 6d ; Freybnrn said that would do and witness conld pay the balance next time he saw him (Freyburn) ; at about 530 the gams day pud the 22s 6d and took the " bike " ; could not ride a bike then : exchanged " bikes " with Gramham. To the Bench: It was a fact the bicycle was in bis possession from Oct. 10th to 30th before be could ride it, and od Nov. Ist he rode 27 miles ; received no receipts from Freyburn. The case was dismissed, tbe Bench stating they were not unanimous bat decided ta give the aoousad the benefit of the doubt. -