RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1205, 26 February 1880, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT.

THIS DAT^. (Before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M.) DRUNKENNESS. William Blake was fined 10s, with the' alternative of forty-eight hours imprison-; ment, for having been drunk and disorderly. John Jones, for a similar offence,: was cautioned and discharged. George Henderson was similarly dealt with for having been drunk. LUNACY. Julia Vaughan, charged with being of unsound mind, was remanded until Monday. FURIOUS RIDING. A lad named Joseph Harrison was charged with riding furiously through Thames-street, and pleaded guilty. Inspector Thompson said that he was, he believed, a very good boy. He was in employment, and gave his mother his wages to help to keep his brothers and sisters. Under these circumstances he would not press for a fine. His Worship then cautioned the accused, and dismissed him. ALLEGED HORSE-STEALING. John • Scott, James Anderson, and Stewart Doig, on remand, were charged; on the information of Thomas Meek, with the larceny of three draught horses on the 7th February. This case had been partly heard on Friday last. Mr. Hislop again appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Hamersley for the defence. ;

George Orr, in the employ of Messrs. J. and T. Meek, said he was aware that Messrs. J. and.T. Meek and Scott were in partnership, carrying on business as farmers at Hakateramea, Makihihi, and Otaio. • .On the 14th January last he saw Scott, and deliveredaletter to him. He met Scott afc-Kett's Hotel, Waimate, and told him that he had a notice for him. Scott replied that he knew all about it, as he had been in O&maru • all the previous day.' Witness tpld Scott that he must comply ,'with.the notices. " Scott said he, was busy making out his statement, and would be in T'Oamaru in 'the course of,, a few days. Se also said he had no doubt he wo'uld .bo, able to ; buy ; Meek out, or put another L 1000: into business ; or at any rate, settle the -matter all right. He ; said 4 ' You need not go- to the, Hakatera: mea. I have left five men in charge of the" .place there; ; Meek himself ' cftri go there if he. likes ; but no other man need go." Before " seeking Scott, witness had be&ii' 'at Hakaterameaj and had counted 12 or 13 horses there. On the 21st January. he . started "on, another | journey to Hakateramea, and on the 22nd meet Scott,at Waimate. He served him with another notice, and Scott told him he need- not. go to . Hakateramea-, as those there had instructions, to.; allow no one to' go on to the place. He afterwards saw Scott at Waimate, and asked him where the horses were. Scott replied thait they were in New Zealand. Witness referred to the - draught„ horses belonging to. the partnership, and used on the-farms. On the 2nd February, witness took an inventory, pf. the horses at Hakateramea, and found" nine there. On the 7th February he went to Timaru in the company of a man named Thomas Caldwell.' They went to thVsaleyards of Messrs. Maclean and Stewart, and Caldwell'pointed out three draught horses to witness! One of the horses was'put up for sale, but was not sold. Doig came in ;while witness was talking to Mr. Stewart, and said "I'll take the horses away}" Mr. Stewart replied that he could not let them go, as he was instructed to hold them on account, of another party until the ownership could be proved. Doig expressed his determination to take them, and said, " What shall I say to the party who sent rue with the horses when I go back without them?" Before this conversation witness asked Doig how he " came by these horses," and Doig replied, " That's my business. I have them here on my own account and other parties'."::- After, the conversation with Mr. Stewart, Doigoinlposened one of the horses, and Mr. Stewart went after him to stop him. Anderson, who was present durihg tfte conversation between Stewart, Doig, and witness, asked Stewart if there was anything to pay on the horses, and if that was the reason he was keeping them. Mr. Stewart replied that it was a question of ownership. Witness had not seen, the horses since. He. knew that Anderson had been in the employ of the partnership, and had seen him at Hakateramea. Cross-examined by Mr. Hamersley: fitness said that, h© had known Scott for some time previous to taking the notice to him. He had not been in the employ

of the partnership. He knew that Doig had a horse of his own at the sale. Ho could not say whether there were more than 13 horses on the Hakateramea, but a man named Newcombo, who had chargo of the horses, told him that there wero no more. To Mr. Hislop : Witness had soon Doig;and Scott together, and had seen Scott; take a paper out of his pocket and read -to Doig an advertisement inserted by Mr. Meek with reference to the dissolution of; partnership. He (witness) could! not sivy what paper the advertisement appeared in, but he had read it in the Waimate Times. Mr. Hamersley called his attentionto the fact that Mr. Meek had, on the 26th January, inserted an advertisement declaring that the partnership between Messrs. J. and T. Meek and Scott had been dissolved, while he was even now applying to the Supreme Court for the dissolution, and Scott w ; as opposing it. Witness, to Mr. Hamersley, said he knew that Mr. Meek was applying to the Supreme Court. to. have the partnership dissolved. He knew that Scott had inserted an advertisement-stating that accounts against the partnership were to bo sent to him. . ' : : " To Mr. Hislop, witness said he also knew that the defendant Scott had been sued in the Waimate Court for personal debts, and that execution had been issued against him; He also knew that an attempt had been : made to sell, under distress warrants, 50 acres of oats to the partnership to satisfy thej udgmenti in the cases of Simmons v. Scott' arid Hawkins, as trustee in , the., estate of Stewart Doig, v.;' Scott,. He also kn*w that some accounts in the partnership had been sent into Messrs. J. and T. Meejr, and had a number in his possession. , [Left sitting.] ,