Woodville Cattle Stealing.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 131, 4 October 1895, Page 2

Woodville Cattle Stealing.

The Napier Telegraph's Parliamentary correspondent telegraphed that the Woodville cattle stealiug case came before the House on Friday, when the Premier laid on the table the report of the Commisioner of Police, and, in doing so, read the following extract: — " Since writing my minutes of the 9th and 19th inst, I have visited Woodville, and from all I could learn there, I do not think the constable is much at fault. He certainly did not at once execute the warraut as he should hove done, but on the standing and ganeral character of Gower, I believe had he arrested Gower and taken him to the lock-up there would have been a general local outcry that unnecessarilly harsh treatment was being used towards Gower. One and all of the respectable inhabitants speak in high terms of the manner in which Constable Treanor performs his duty. Ha has been upwards of twenty-one years in the service, and has no entry against him in his defaulter's sheet." Captain Russell statod that the version he had received entirely differed from the report. There was strong feeling in the district that, whether inteutionally or not, there had been a grave miscarriage of justice, The Premier opposed all the blame being thrown on the unfortunate constable. The person who lost the cattle chauged the process from a warrant to a sutmnnos. Thereupon, followed a wrangle between Captain Russell and tli9 Premier, the conclusion being that Captain Russell said he held a paper in his hand in which the informant stated that the police told him when he informed them of the facts that they would take the responsibility of the prosecution. Mr Seddon replied there was something behind this which he could not understand. The complaint regarding this oase was first set down to the Hon Mr Ormond. And so the matter dropped.