POOLEY AND BRAMHALL’S DEFENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5007, 11 April 1877, Page 3

POOLEY AND BRAMHALL’S DEFENCE.

The Lyttelton Times reports that the following witnesses were called for the defence - *T. S. Sweet deposed : I know both the prisoners. I was one of the Canterbury team. There were some business relations between rne and Bramhall in respect to the match. I am an accountant. I was in his company on the evening of the 28th nt about a quarter past eight. The business I had was with regard to the sale of the cards of the match and the photos of the cricketers. After meetsug him in the evening I took him round to the Press office. We left there about a quarter to nine. We went from there to Morton’s

Hotel, which was reached about nine ; we stayed till half-past. From there we went to the theatre. We stayed: there about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, 1 and returned from there to Warner’s Hotel. I remained in his company till twenty minutes to eleven. Pooley was not with us at all during that time. Bramhall had arranged to go back to Morton’s. I could not say if he left Warner’s before me. I left about five minutes to eleven. I did not see him any more that night. I know Armitage, one of the All England Eleven. He is like Bramhall in the face, but taller. I know Greenwood; he is scarcely like Pooley, but ■ the stature is about the same. I did not see Pooley that evening. By the Court: I did not see the disturbance, and did not know of it till next day. Bramhall did not tell me about the dispute between Pooley and Donkin. By Mr. Duncan ; Broomhall acted on behalf of the Eleven. He came with them and left with them. I did not deal with him as their agent. Bramhall sold the tickets for himself ; but for the gate money he would have to account to Lillywhite. I never saw Pooley and Bramhall in company. James Hurst deposed : I keep the bridge of the Eakaia Gorge ferry. I saw the row between Pooley and Donkin outside Warner’s Hotel. I saw Bramhall several times during the evening. He was once with Mr. Sweet. T saw him up to 11 o’clock. I afterwards saw Bramhall alone in one of the passages downstairs. I did not see him continuously from the time he left Sweet. He seemed busy during that time, trying to sell photos. I did not see Pooley after the fray. Bramhall was not present at the time of the row. I know Selby. He had something to do with the row. When Pooley assaulted Donkin, Lakemanwent as if to assist Donkin, when Selby pulled him away, and said : “ Hold on, old chap, two or three can play at that game.” Selby is one of the English Eleven. Ulyelit, another of the All-England Eleven, said: ** Yes, we are all in it.” I put my arm round Ulyett and got him away, when Selby said : “We will have it out of you before morning.” Selby might be taken for Pooley, if he was not looked at particularly. David Ashby deposed : I was one of the Canterbury team in the late match. I know nothing about the row between Donkin and Pooley. I saw the latter on the same evening a few minutes before 11 in front of the bar at Warner’s.

Arthur Whitley deposed : I am a bookmaker. I recollect the evening of February 28 last. I had an appointment with Pooley about 8 o’clock. I met him about half-past 8 with his face bleeding. He went upstairs and washed his face. I was out with him until about half-past 10 or nearer 11, when we went back to Warner’s. I remained about five minutes- longer, and then I- went up to bed. I did not see Bramhall that evening. I know Selby; he might be mistaken for Pooley. By the Court: Pooley told me about the row, and said Donkin was an old fool not to have shouted a bottle of champagne ; it would have been all right, and he would not have asked him for the money. He did not seem annoyed, except that he said “ What a bad name it would give him in the old country.” He used no threatening language—quite the contrary, saying he wished the thing had’nt happened. Hugh Cassidy deposed ; 1 am the proprietor of the coach to the West Coast. I drove the All-England Eleven from Hokitika to Christchurch. On the Sunday before the match on arriving at the Otira it was raining very hard, and we were detained there , from Friday to Sunday morning. Nearly all their clothes were soaking wet. On the following day they dried their clothes before the fire. The hat now produced, burnt as it now is, was worn by one of the cricketers, known to me by the name of Andrew Greenwood. He wore 'it down to Christchurch. Greenwood is riot like Pooley, but is a little like Bramhall. He might be taken for Bramhall at night time. Charles Alexander deposed ’: I am one of the billiard-markers at Warner’s Hotel. I remember the row on Feb; 28. Mr. Pooley afterwards came into the billiard-room with Mr. Whitley, about half-past ten. I remember him leaving when we closed up. Between his coming in and our closing up he never went out of my sight. . , By Mr. Duncan : He was not out" of my sight from half-past ten o’clock to the time we closed. If he had been out of my sight long I should have missed him. He was not longer than ten minutes out of my sight. Ten minutes is nothing. It don’t take long to take refreshments.

By Mr. Garrick : I am quite sure he was neyer out of my sight the whole time. lam positive he was not., By the Court : I don’t call ten minutes any time.

This was the case for the defence. , Counsel having addressed the jury, and the Judge having summed up. The jury retired ,to consider their, verdict at four o'clock, and, returned into Court in half-an-hourwith a verdict of not guilty against both prisoners.