Police Court, Paerca.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 445, 12 February 1890, Page 2

Police Court, Paerca.

TUESDAY, FEB. 4, 1890. [Before H. W. Northcroft, Esq, R.M.] SHEEP STEALING. Honk Koiionbiio, Epiha, and Kara lea Kainurn, were charged on the infor'nation of Constable A. J. Mitchell, that they did on or about 7th .October, ISS9, at Motun. gain, feloniously steal, take, and carry away, two sheep of the value of thirty shillings, of the goods and chattels of Alf. J. Thorp. The Police explained that Ivuraka, one of the accused,had offered to ghe evidence against the other two ; and as he had been accepted as a witness for the prosecution, the police would offer no evidence in support of this information, so that he might be discharged. No evidence being offered the three accused were discharged. A fresh information was then laid against Hone Kohopeljo, and Epiha, charging them with this offence. The evidence of A. J. Thorp, Ivingi Ilaira, and Kanika Ivamura, was taken ; the Bench repeatedly cautioning Kanika that he had notliing to fear, and that as he was a witness for the Crown he had better tell the whole truth as to the part he had taken in the affair, otherwise he was not discharging the duties ho had undertaken in becoming a witness. But notwithstanding the cautions of the Coift, he persisted in giving manifestly false evidence, with a view of representing himself innocent. Persistence in this course resulted in a fresh information being prepared, charging Ivuraka Kamura and Hone Ivohoneho with the sheep stealing, and making use of Epiha as a Crown witness. Constable Mitchell conducted the case for the prose-' eution.

Alfred Joshua Thorp in his evidence stated that : lie was a farmer living near Paeroa, and in occupation of the Motungaio block on the Wailiou river which lie used as a sheep rim. About 9th October last from something he heard be went down and counted his sheep. The previous month he had placed 86 sheep there ; some had his own private mark (a swallow mark) on the left ear, others had a hole punched out of the left ear. On examining them he found that one or two had been bitten by dogs and that about ten were missing. He communicated with Constable Mitchell and the following morning in company with the Constable went down to Ttniwhnti, situated on the other side of the river from the Mornngaio block. On the bunks of a small creek'they saw signs of some animals having been recently (within two nr three days) killed. On searching the creek with poles they found two sheep skins with heads attached. On the left ear of one he found his own private mark, and the left ear of the other had the hole in it before described. Constable Mitchell took charge of the skins. The skim in Court now produced he would swear are his property, and that they came off she -p his property. He never authorised the accused to take his sheep. The next witness, Uingi Ilaira, said ho remembered a day or so after the Maori football match being played at Paeroa(sth October, 1889), bo was at lvaraka’s settlement. He remembered seeing the carcases of two sheep hanging up in his potato bouse. He understood tit the time that Clark was present- with 11.me and Epihi when the sheep were killed and that the sheep belonged to Thorp John W. Thorp said he remembered being in the police office on fcJatmday, Ist February, 1890. Hone Epiha, bis brother Alfred, and Constable M;tohoil were present. He heard Epiha say that he and Hone went out a day or two after the football match with a third person pig-hunting, that they could find no pigs, and that they went over to Thorp’s paddock at Motungaio, and caught two nheep, that they took them across the river in a canoe to Tuawhuti, and that there the third person killed them with a tomahawk ; that they all helped to skin them, and after hiding the skins and heads in the creek they took the carcases back in a canoe to K iraka’s settlement.

Epiha stated ho remembered about the time of the football match going out with Hone and Ivuraka in a canoe. They three went together. He acted as pentry while tbo other two caught and killed the sheep. It was Thorp’s sheep they caught. They took the sheep across the river and killed and skinned them, and took the carcases to K iraka settlement. Alfred James Mitchell, Constable at ( Paeroa, gave evidence similar to that of Thorp, as to finding signs of animals being ki 1 led on the bank of creek, and the finding of skins in the creek on 10th October last also as to arrest of accused. The accused, Honey-then gave evidence for defence implicating Ivuraka and himself ; and the Bench committed the two for trial refusing to allow bail.