Alleged Sheep Stealing.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7718, 21 January 1905, Page 2

Alleged Sheep Stealing.

Smith Sent Dp for Trial. At the S.M. Court on Friday, before Mr T. Hutchison, Frank .Smith, on remand, was charged with stealing 40 sheep, on ! tli iit't., the property of George Hid*;U, and valued at 18s each. I Sergeant Haddrell, who prosecuted, slated that accused was in the employ of Mr Biddcll, and on the 6th hut. wast seen drafting sheep In* !tho yard, and later in the day was 'found trying to dispose of the sheep at Inglewood. He detailed the efforts of htais-lf and other members 'qi the force to arrest accused. When ! arrested uccus-.d asked why the other 'man had not been arrested. i To Accused : Denied putting his hand into accused's mouth to . rip it open. Told accused if he persisted in fighting hi' must take the 'consiequences. Was sitfiiig by accused all the ti'.nie. ! To the S.M-. : You want to show that Sergeant Haddrell is not so careless as he makes out. I G. Uiddell, butcher, said accused ] was in his employ. On Saturday, ,7th, he was called to Inglewood .where lie found 41 sheep belonging to him in charge of a police constable. 'Hie sheep were brand'ed with witness' spenial mark a blue li|ne down-the back. The sheep Iwere running on witness' land at Waiwakaiho. I To. accused: Had sent accused |with sflitep on previous: occasions. Had never found licensed diwlionest or bad any complaints- about him.. I W. Simpson, manager of G. Rid'dcll's farm said that on the sth 'January he told accused to Kike a. ■horse to be shod next day, but he found another man doing accused's I work. There were 365 fat sheep on the farm. Ho Identified the sheep at the back of the court as part of the number. | To accused: On December 16th received 260 sheep from Warea, and 'on 17th received 115 from Waitara.. Did not tally the number until the sheep were reported initying. I Considerable, time was occupied in endeavouring to account for the number of sheep on the farm. Witness being cross-examined by accused on the point at some length and admitting that he hud not counted •tho sheep since December 16th un- | iil January 7th. To the S.M. : Accused had frequently taken sheep to the abattoirs-. | Another arithmetical problem »a» worked out at this point showing that there were 49 sheep ;ihort—t-igilH being unaccounted for. | Walter H. Bishop, son of a farmer on th'e Egmont Koud, said that on 6th January he was passing Mr Kiddell's farm about 8 a.m.,, on the main road, when he saw two men land a boy drafting sheep in a paddock. Accused was one of the persons he saw. Subsequently accused passed witness at the corner of the Egmont Road driving between 35 and 40 sheep. Accused was alone. Dick not notice what • became of the other two persons. Noticed a blue mark on the steep similar to that on tho sheep outside the Court. | Abel B. Gainlyn, a butcher residing at Inglewood, said that accused came to him about 1,30 on January 6th', and asked what a 'at ewe was worth that was knocked up on the road. Witness said he had no cart to fetch it and asked accused what he was going to do with the other sheep, and |accused said ho thought it was sale day and had brought them up to |sell, but finding it was not sale day he would tindi a paddock for them 'till next sale day. Told accused |to call back relative to fetching .the sheep that was knocked up. i Accused told him in reply to a .questjtion .that he owned the sheep and bad a farm at Tikorangi. Accused admitted his name was Smith, and (that his brother and himself had drawn £llOO in Tattersali's sweep 'about fourteen months ago and had bought a farm of 170 acres. AccusJed -risked 17s 6d apiece for the sheep. Patrick Dmldy, constable stationed at Inglewood, said he saw, accused with, a mob oi sheep at ingleVood on the 6th. When about 400 yards away, Smith looked round | and gallojwd away. Later on he found a horse, saddle, and bnidle in a plantation, and found the sheep on the road. Mr RiddeJi on the ; Saturday identified lli-e sh'eep, saddle, and bridle as his proiwrty. but had doubt about the horsft. Percy McCoy also gave evidence. Lionel Benjamin, detective, gave videnco as to accused making a tatement when he gave himself up at the police station. Accused,, ora .being asked whether ■he hud anything to say, reserved hc-s defence. Accused pleaded "not gu.:itv," and .was committed for trial. Bail was allowed,, two sureties of £<c, and self in £IOO. ESCAPING FROM CUSTODY, The same accused was also charged with escaping from lawful eusitotly.; The evidence taken on this qlwirgo was contained in the depositions taken in the former case. | Accused pleaded not guilty, and .Mas. committed for trial