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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 66, 2 July 1873, Page 2

Resident Magistrate’s Co^rt.—Dr. Nesbitt, and with him W. J. Wilson, Esq., were occupied the whole of Friday last in investigating a charge of larceny preferred by James Mooney against Heremia an aboriginal native. The evidence of several witnesses is very voluminous, and unsatisfactorily contradictory. The substance of the charge, is that of the prisoner having been seen by the prosecutor with a certain saddle in his possession, which he (the prosecutor) swore to as one that had been stolen from him in December last. James Mooney, sworn, states: — I lost a saddle on or about the 24th December. It was taken off a horse tied to Mr. Blair’s fence at Gisborne. I tied the horse up and went inside the Argyll Hotel. I was inside about an hour. When 1 came outside, the saddle, together with the horse, was missing. I went up the East Coast about three months months ago. On arriving near Enaura, I saw my saddle in the possession of a native named Heremia. I described my saddle to Mr. Craig, who was with me, and he examined it and found that it corresponded with the one I had described. I did not demand the saddle at once, but on arriving at Enaura, some six or seven miles further,. I asked the defendant to give up the saddle, and offered him another in return, to use until the matter was settled in some way He would not do so, but said that he would hand the saddle over to Patihana Aukomiro, a Native Assessor. When he arrived at Tologaßay, Michael Mullooly would not allow the defendant to give the saddle up to Patihana. There was a particular mark at tJie back of the saddle, and two marks also on the saddle-flaps made by the stirrup irons. Another mark was the presence of fly-blows and pepper underneath the saddle which I requested my friends, Craig and John Kennedy, to examine. Mullooly told me that the saddle had been handed over to him. I was absent at Tokomaru for about two months. On my return on enquiring at Tologa Bay I found that Mr. Mullooly was away at Auckland, and had the saddle locked up in the store. By Mr. Taylor: I was at Enaura myself. I did not go to the Native Assessor. I did see Mullooly on my return from the Coast. I did say to Mullooly that the saddle he produced was not my saddle —he showed me one. I never claimed the one he showed me. Heremia refused to give up the saddle to me when I claimed it, but said he would give it up to Patihana. I heard that he had been prevented from doing so by Michael Mullooly. I did not claim the saddle as I did not tliink I was justified in doing so, particularly as I was in a native district. In support of this, Robert Craig, John Kennedy, and R. M. Skeet, all examined the saddle and corroborated prosecutor’s description 7f . of itMichael Mullooly, deposed to having a saddle which some natives took to him some months ago, as being the one Mooney claimed, but Mooney told him it was not his. Hirini Tautau, Arapita Puku, and other natives, swore positively that the saddle produced was the one which Mooney claimed. The Bench decided that the information be dismissed for want of sufficient evidence.

The following extracts from a private letter, addressed to a gentleman in Gisborne, have been handed to us for publication:— “I am exceedingly pleased to see the rapid advance your part is .making, and more so at the energy displayed in forming a company for the working of the Petroleum; if competent persons are employed, there lies a wealth inexhaustible. I am going to take shares myself, as I am certain in my own mind that in three months after the boring apparatus is on the ground, and at work, the shares will have to be paid up. The raw material, be assured, my dear sir, is there in abundance; and the geological formation is such, as I recollect, that there will be no difficulty in sinking the well. I first saw the oil springs in 1841, what I saw then, and once since, the rememberance is still vivid in my recollection. There is no agent appointed yet in Napier, so far as I know. I regret that lam not now a settler in your part. Turanga has been the Garden of New Zealand in former yews, and it will be the Paradise in a few years to come. Your land and climate are all that can be desired; most of our European fruits and grain will grow to the greatest perfection, as well as several tropical ones; also trees, particularly Olives, Almonds, Wallnuts, Ac., which in the course of ten or twelve years will repay all labor and advances.” The Telegraph. — Mr. Drummond C.E. arrived in town on Saturday last from the coast and reports very severe weather. Mr. Drummond thinks that the survey of the Telegraph line will be completed to Gisborne in about a fortnight

Tenders.—Tenders are called for this morning by the Road Board to be sent in by Saturday the 12th instant for the performance of sundry works.

Tauranga is to be declared a Port of Entry. The Bay of Plenty Times reports that Mr. McKellar of H.M.’s Customs at Auckland has made the arrangements necessary to that end. Among the petitions to the House of Lords in favor of the Deceased Wife’s Sister Bill was one from Mr. Spurgeon and his congregation which was entrusted to the Archbishop of Canterbury. > Military.—An announcement is made in the Road Board minutes of last Saturday’s proceedings to the effect that “ Militiamen are not considered on duty on parade days, after sunset.” By whom, is not stated, but as Mr. Goldsmith’s name appears in conjunction with it, we can only conclude that it has some remote reference to Militiamen having to pay for crossing at the punt after sunset. What about ths Volunteers ? Poverty Bay Petroleum and Kerosine Company.—We are informed that the agency in Napier of this Companv has been accepted by Messrs. Kinross & Co. It is gratifying to find that the advocacy of the interests of this district is being undertaken by men of such business habits and influence as this firm arc known to possess ; and we compliment the Directors on the choice they have made.