MISSING SHEEP

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 753, 28 August 1929, Page 11

MISSING SHEEP

YOUNG FARMER CHARGED WITH THEFT BREAK IN BOUNDARY FENCE (From Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, Tuesday. Charged with stealing 58 sheep, the property of William Gadsby, of Hangatiki, Herbert Henry Ellis, 28, appeared in the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Ostler today. Accused pleaded not guilty. Mr. H. T. Gillies, Crown Prosecutor, said Gadsby owned an area of land between Hangatiki and Te Kuiti. He sheared. 1,000 ewes in December, and on January 15 it was found that 5S ewes were missing. A bush train ran through the property, and the cattle stop was defective and allowed slieep to get out of Gadsby’s property. The accused occupied an adjoining property. Evidence would be called to show that accused trucked the missing sheep from Hangatiki to Frankton on February 4, to be sold by a Hamilton auctioneering firm. The sheep were later identified by Gadsby. Accused’s explanation, of his part of the transaction, continued counsel, was that he was acting as agent for one B. L. McNair. Exhaustive inquiries had been made concerning McNair, but no one of that name had been located. Letters purported to have been written by McNair had been produced by accused, but counsel suggested that Ellis had either written them himself in a disguised hand or he had got someone else to write them. Another point was that a sum equalling the receipts front the sale of the sheep, £55 13s 6d, less exchange, had been paid into accused’s bank account. Arthur Llewellyn, farm manager, of Te Kuiti, said his employer found 58 of his sheep missing on February 4. A break in the boundary line was discovered and there were signs that sheep had passed through the gap. Witness identified the sheep later on a farm at Hamilton. James Hall, farmer, Oparuru, said he saw 16 stray sheep on his property on January 15, and four on the road. Ellis claimed the sheep as his, and called later and took them away. Constable Kennedy said accused bad stated that the sheep he had found on Hall’s property were his. Witness had never known a man in the district named McNair. POLICE INTERVIEW Cross-examined witness said he did not remember Detective Thompson telling accused that he (Ellis) was McNair, and that he had better confess. The interview with Ellis lasted three and a-half hours. When accused asked to see his solicitor Detective Thompson said it was not necessary. Ellis was asked to wait at the station while Mrs. Ellis was interviewed. Ellis offered to give the police a note asking his wife to hand over any papers that were required. When they saw Mrs. Ellis she said she expected there would be trouble. Mrs. Ellis had stated that a man named McNair had stopped for a night at their place and had bought six head of stock from Ellis. Witness denied that Detective Thompson had requested Mrs. Ellis to write a statement that her husband was McNair. He also denied that Mrs. Ellis had been told that if she did not confess she might lose her children. Witness said he and Detective Thompson treated Mrs. Ellis with every kindness. A railway porter, Charles Colin West, of Hangatiki, said on February 1 accused ordered a sheep truck. Ellis handed him a consignment note for the truck on February 4. The note purported to be signed by B. L. McNair. A Hangatiki farmer, Robert August Ingley, said that on February 4 he assisted Ellis in trucking some sheep at Hangatiki. The case was adjourned.