WHOLESALE HORSESTEALING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 341, 1 March 1911, Page 5

WHOLESALE HORSESTEALING.

.. .© At the Auckland Police Court, on Saturday, before Mr E. C. Gutten, S.M., 'three men named Herbert Parker, William Stewart and Arthur Smith, were charged with having stolen at Otorohanga, on or about December 20th, a mare valued at £4, the property of Henry Wilkinson; also a mare valued at £-1, the property of Tekone te Hira. Mr R. Moody appeared for Stewart, and MrPilkington for Smith. Detective McMahon, who conducted the case for the prosecution, stated that Wilkinson missed his mare in October, and next saw it when shown to him by the police in Auckland. Tekone te Hira, a native, stated that in December last he missed seven horses. They had been grazing on Andreson's run. Nobody had authority to remove horses from there. The run was approximately 10,000 acres, and was unfenced. The mare shown to him by the police was his property. Robert Rea, a railway porter, gave evidence that in December Stewart ordered a cattle waggon to load at Kawa. and Benjamin C. Doel, railway porter, said that on December 22nd the three accused brought seven horses to Kawa station and loaded them into a truck. Stewart made out two consignment notes to W. Bell, Remuera. Albert Loveil, a railway clerk, gave evidence in regard to the arrival of seven horses at Remuera station on December 22nd. The horses were consigned to *V. Bell, Remuera. Be could not identify the man who received the horses and signed for them. Chas. Waters, accountant in the employ of A. Buckland and Sons, stated that on December 23rd a man iramed H. Parker put seven horses in to the sale, and received the proceeds amounting to £ll His (id. He. could not recognise any of the accused. Further evidence wa3 given by Donald Eraser, police constable at Otorohanga, who said the accused when arrested, had admitted that the horses had been taken from Anderson's run. The three accused pleaded not guilty, and were committed for trial, bail bsing allowed in two sureties of £SO, and one personal surety of £IOO in each case. The Court sat until late in the evening, and Parker was further chargsd with stealing from the paddock of John Onnsby, a stabiekeeper of Otorohanga, three horses, value £7O, and from a Maori farmer, Arai Morgan, two horses, value £3O. The evidence was to the effect that the horses of the two prosecutors were taken out of their respective paddocks, and two railway porters from Otorohanga and Kawa deposed to prisoner's coming to them in order to get five horses consigned to Penrose. The consignment note was made out to W. Richamond, and signed "W. Williamson." An accountant from Messrs Buckland and Sons, said three horses, since identified as the ones stolen, were put into their hands by a man gviing his name as J, Fitzgerald. The horses realised £44 10s, and a cheque was given to the seller for £4l Is. Evidence was also given that two horses alleged to have been stolen by accused, were put into the hands of the Loan and Mercantile Company, by a man giving the name of Fitzgerald, and sold. Prisoner made no statement, and asked no questions of the witnesses. He was committed for trial, and released on the same bail as in the previous cases.