MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1915, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

CHAIIGE OF DESTROYING A COW. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr A. Crooke, S.M., Harry Brundson was charged with wilfully destroying a cow valued at £25, the property of G. K. Julian, of Warea. Mr J. H. Qiiilliun appeared for Die acusrd. George Krncst Julian, a farmer at, Warea, said that on July Ist he was on the farm when he discovered that one of his cows had been shot. The cow was valued at about £25. The skin of the cow had been removed and taken to a buyer of skins, where witness identified it as the skin of the cow which had been shot. As far as witness knew accused did not own any eavtle. 'i'li,' accused was present at Mr Tulloeh's skin buyer—and he said the skin lie sold was red and not black, but Mr Tulloeh said it was black and was the one identified by Julian. / Thomas Julian, father of the previous witness, gave corroborative evidence. Pcreival Austin Putt, farmer ;'t Warea, said he met the acused and asked him if he had seen a three-year-old steer, but lie replied lie had n0.!,. The accused had a gun with him and a dog and lie said he was going in the direction of the neighbourhood where the cow was shot. Kdith Brundson, sister-in-law of the accused, did not remember the accused bringing a hide to her place, but he brought a cow's tongue there about the third week in June. Witness did n.it see a hide at her house until Mr Tulloeh (the skin buyer) came for it and took it away, (t was a black hide. Arthur M. Tulloeh, a hide buyer, residing at Pungaruhe, said he met the accused on July 1 and the accused said he had a couple of hides he wished to sell. Witness took the hides and the black hide produced was one of them. With Constable O'Neill and Julian witness met the accused, and in reply to Constable O'Neill the accused denied that the hide produced was the one lie had sold to witness. The accused said it was a red hide and not a black one that he had sold to witness. Constable O'Neill gave evidence covering the loss of the cow and accused's denial that it was a black hide he h<ul sold, but was a red hide. In u statement to witness the accused said he whs sorry for Julian as he did not know it was Julian's cow he shot. Accused told witness he would plead guilty to the charge as lie intended to pay for the cow. The accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed to the- Suoreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed.