EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF POISONING CATTLE.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 99, 23 November 1868, Page 281

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF POISONING CATTLE.

(From the Nelson Examiner, 27th Ootoher.) A 'OASE; of considerable importance was heard, before, the ah -Motueka, on Saturday last - a man hamed Brookes, a painter, beirfg charged with having poisoned a horse and two cows belonging to Dr Bark, grazing in a paddock adjoining Kis own. The case : was adjourned from Saturday to Monday, to enable an analysis to bV made of the stomachs of the„ dead animals:' • ’

- -The evidence elicited on Monday was to the following effect:— .

.The. search-warrant resul" ed in tho discovery of the same pigment (Scheele’s arsenic green) within prisoner’s dwellinghouse. A'small quantity of green powder that was found on the floor', of' his paint shop, 'proved on being analysed by Dr Bond, .to be the same as the conteuts of the stomachs of the cows. A pot of green paint was alsb tested, and proved to be the same. The paddock was bare of feed, but the garden - attached to prisoner’s-house had a good growthiof grass on it, and the cattle bad evidently been accustomed to put their heads through between the rails, and it was there that the powder was found in quantity. A small patch of grass within a yard' 'or two of the house was found to have b.een cut or pulled and it had evidently been placed, with the poison sprinkled through it, close to the fence. The rails and post at the end of a private footpath, from the house to the paddock were smeared with the same powder; and a quantity, of it was discovered on the ground as if it had been spilt by some one whilst climbing over. The nosnls of the cows were green with it, and the horns had marks of green on them, looking as if they had been guided by a hand which had held the powder. The prisoner has been committed for trial, and is-how in jail, having boen brought oyer in the Lady Barkly- to Nelson yesterday. Rumors prejudicial to the previous character; of the person accused have been prevalent in, Motueka for some time. The reports are to the purport of his having been well known to the Victorian authorities and police, he having.been accused of crimes of a serious nature. We are also informed that he. goes at present under, an alias. - "

It appears that he is a tenant of Dr Park’s, renting a house and garden, and had received a notice to quit a few days since. Evidence was brought forward showing that threats of revenge of a trivial nature, had been ■ used by him, suck as scraping the paint off tlie house, fouling the well, destroying the blossoms on the fruit trees, &e.