POLICE COURT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 855, 21 June 1910, Page 3

POLICE COURT.

(Before Messrs Hennessy and Horublow, J’s.P.) At a sitting of the above Court ■ iterday, a prohibition order was , , sited against a district resident, the wife’s petition. ■' LLEGED theft of horse COVER. The police charged John Holland, of Himatangi, with the theft ,*f a horse cover, valued at 12s, the p 'perty of C. M. Sorensen, of Himatangi, storekeeper. Evidence was given by Mr S iensen to the effect that a horse c» ver was taken off his horse on the night of the 13th. Witness reported the matter to the police. The cover produced in Court was, to the best of his belief, the cover taken.

Robert Sorensen, son of the last witness, believed the cover produced was the one missing. He identified it by two rips on one side and one rip on the other. He kn -w the cover as he handled it ai , daily. mstable Woods gave evidence a oreuseu reporting the cover r ; on or about the 14th hist, h ;u said the cover had been se -a accused’s horse. Inspected the cover, and took it to Sorensen’s fo ' \t->’ ation- Sorensen and iji.-. 0, j4 . : .1, said it was the missing c Accused informed the ; •iice that he had purchased the ver from c >,e of the local storeceep rs. Mr Mead : ave evidence to the effect hat Ik had seen a rug on .Ci used s h<- ;e mouths prior to •- .renseir missing nis. Could not Identity the ;ug. It was very difficult to entify horse covers unless they w ere specially branded. In answer tc the Bench, accused said that he only had one horse ewer.

Mr Fuunell gave evidence to the ‘fleet that he had seen a rug on accused’s horse prior to the alleged theft. In answer to the police, witness said accused s horse was about 17 bands big! The police pointed out that tl cover in question was made for a ich smaller horse.

Witness ontinuing, said he would sup that the cover was about 12 hs old. He could uot ident Neither could he say whe .e rug on the horse was a ! ar ec. small one.

Mr Aigiir remembered the accused saying that he intended getting the cover reduced in size. He intended to use it for the pony. He could uot identify the cover. Mr I Hard, saddler, said he renal red a horse rug for accused prior tc shortening one on the 13th or 15th May. The cover produced was the one he altered. He could uot say whether the nig produced was the one previously repaired.

Mr H' let i he saw a rug on acci:seu on April nth, but h‘ could n»iL -ay whether the one p- a c the oue. A ecu .. had had the rug p-jduced period of eighteen months or two '-ears. He purchased the >ug from Mr Henuessys. He had used it on a bay

■ ■orse which he had been training tor the Oroua sports, and subseq -cntly bad it altered for a smaller j the police.- When he returned the horse be had been training he did uot send the rug back with it.

The Bench, in dismissing the car. without prejudice, said there was not sufficient evidence to prove 'that the rug was the property of Sorenson.