ALLEGED SHEEP-STEALING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 582, 7 February 1929, Page 1

ALLEGED SHEEP-STEALING

FARMER ON TRIAL

LONG CASE BEGINS Allegations of sheep-stealing on a large scale were made in the Supreme Court this morning against Frank James Smith, farmer, of Tuakau. Prisoner was charged with the theft of 233 sheep, valued at £350, from the Bothwell station, Glenmurry, between April 11 and December 19 last year, and of two sheep worth £2 IDs, the property of Robert Alexander Rutherford, of Kaawa, on or about pecember 4. Smith was alternatively charged with receiving.

It is expected that the case will occupy two days. Mr. V. R. Meredith, Crown ITosecutor, intends to call a large number of witnesses. For the Crown’s case Mr. Meredith said prisoner had formerly worked on Bothwell station, and in April last had leased 745 acres at Tuakau. The Bothwell estate was about five miles from accused's holding.

“A remarkable fact that the evidence will show,” said the prosecutor, “is that when sheep on Smith’s place were mustered later in the year, of 197 animals other than lambs, all but five were claimed by his neighbour, the manager of the Bothw'ell station, although the markings had been obliterated. Further, it is not clear thst the other live did not also belong to his neighbour. The only inference, said counsel, was that accused had adopted the novel method of stocking Ks farm by fielping himself to his neighbour’s sheep.

When H. F. Leigh, manager of the Bothwell station, had mustered the sheep on the place in October, 1925. kiere were about 450 short from the fiock of 4,000.

He complained to the police and Constable Robertson, of Huntly. set ch and one day observed Smith loving a ewe and lamb into a clump a a j-k’ "^* e constable investigated hd discovered a roughly-made compound containing between DO and 100 (i . ee W in the trees. Leigh ideniLoT majority as belonging to t estate , although the caress had been tampered with. . (Proceeding.)