THEFT OF WOOL

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1925, Page 1

THEFT OF WOOL

CI1A1H!I 1 "] !IKAI’T) AT TIAIAIU'. Tf-MAHT. lan. 14. Thomas Uric Austin was charged ’.vitli stealing at (livers dates at Cricklewoocl, wool of the value of £7O, the property of James AFLean. Ah- Kim si ie appeared for the accused. . . Sergt. Packer said the wool was sold to a woolbiiver iu Timaru. James A I'Kean, a fanner, residing at Fail-lie, stated that he had a iarm at Crieklewood. Shearing started on Dec. 4th. witness and his'manager doing the work. His two sons were engaged in sorting the wool, which was left at night in the bins. The shed was not locked. The shearing was chielK ionlined to half-bred and three-quarter-bred ewes. On the morning of Dec. dth.. it was noticed that the quantitc of wool was loss than on the previous days. Six days later he noticed that there was considerably less wool in tlu shed, and he saw marks where someone had left the shed, entered an adjoining paddock and crossed the load. He followed the track until he came to the spot where a horse and gig ban been tied to a telephone post. lie could see by the marks that the gig had come from the direction of Fairlie and had returned that way. His sheep had been branded with green, red and black brands. He examinee wool at the place of Afr Aloofly (An > merchant) and it resembled his w 0..! on some of this wool there were green brands, and this was also half amt three-quarter bred wool. James C. Clark, a carrier, .said that on December 14tli. accused asked him to take some wool to John Jackson s raid in Timaru. On Dec-. ISth. the woo! numbering 18V bags arrived at Hs P John Moody. wool merchant, said that accused asked him if he bought wool. He replied in the affirmative. He examined the wool in the store and.it consisted of 15 hags of fleece and