THIS DAY.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2984, 7 September 1878, Page 2

THIS DAY.

(Before W. Frascr, Esq.,K.M.) PIG- STEALING.

Henry Burt and William Eolton were charged with stealing nine pigs of the value of £5, the property of one Lemuel J. Bagnall.

Mr Brassey appeared for Rolton and pleaded not guilty. Mr Miller appeared for Burt and also pleaded not guilty. At the request of- Mr Bullen all witnesses were ordered out of Court.

Lemuel John Bagnall, sworn, deposed— I am manager and partner of the firm of Bagnall Bros., lessees of the Hauraki saw* mil), and land adjacent thereto, called the | Waihou block, as shown on this map (produced.) > It extends above Hikutaia creek. Amongst other things I pur-, chased a number of pigs—about a hundred—in May 1877. I had some sows served by a breed belonging to J Alley of Hikutaia, and. have been in the r habit of feeding them. I hare nerer seen any /Wild pigs- up there. I have seen, thuse pigs outside the Court, and have| •pigs of a similar breed on the estate. Some of them were marked with holes.in the left ear. The pigs outside the Court, are from 10 to 12 months old, and are not, wild pigs. No one had permission to move the pigs, and no. one could give permis-! sion but me. The pigs are worth more, than £5. I had a black and white boar; pig. • ' .. i • By Mr Brassey—l purchased the pigs in 1877. A sow goes with young- 16----weeks. ' I don't think I bought the pigs; tHat were stolen. They were -not in ; existence when I purchased the property.; 'I had some sows served by Mr Alley's 1 boar four or five years ago. I feed the, pigs about twice a week. I believe there! are no native pigs about there, and I be-' lieva that there are no pigs there but mine. I received information from a man working at the mill that a boat with pigs' was going down the river. - • By Mr Miller—The river is the boun-i dary of my property. I believe the pigs are mine by their general appearance. These pigs are the progeny of those I bought from Ward and Co., I believe.,' (Witness described the position's *■ c pigs chiefly frequented in the estate.) By the Bench—Some of the pigg are, barrow pigs. :■/..; : ;; Albert 4 Edward... Bagnall, sworn, deposed—l am a partner of,the firm of Bagnall Brothers, and am bush manager.. We have a lot of pigs running near the 1 bush, and I occasionally feed' them. I have seen the pigs outside the Court, and recognise them as belonging to the firm. I have not the slightest doubt that they; are our property. The last time I saw them was when they were running at a place called the Long Beach. We paid £60 for the pigs on the estate, and have never heard any one claim pigs on the 'estate. I have never seen a .wild ipig there, and have been working in the vicinity for three years.' ; By Mr Brassey—l know the pigs outside the Court as they were littered near the bush whare. By Mr Miller—l was astonished to find that Burt had taken the pigs, but was told that Btfrt was in the habit of taking i pigs. (Witness described the marks on the pigs stolen by which he recognised them.). , . \ u . > ,•; . , • George Bagnall, sworn, deposed—l am ' father of the last two witnesses. I took i a great interest in feeding the pigs. We had a black and white boar penned up, in the yard at the mill. I have seen the pigs outside. 'They have the general appearance of our pigs. I saw Burt yesterday, < and he told me he had taken the pigs) from there, but did not know they were ours.. He also remarked that he was surprised at the superior breed of the pigs to those he had previously got from the.same place. ' ' > Mr Miller said that there was no contention f'.at the pigs were not the pro- j perty of Bagnall Bros., but there was no felonious intent. - •

James Mackay, sworn, depoied—l negociated the lease of the buah for the Hauraki Sawmill Co. I .bought the right to cut the.timber and made roads to the, river. When the goldfield was opened the natives took a number of pigs bv.er to the west bank of the Thames River. I have known Burt for 25 years, and knew he always bore a good charac-

ter, i Edward O. Moore, sworn, deposed—l was working at the Hauraki sawmill. I know the place called Long Reach. In '74 there were many wild pigs, there, and people were in the habit of hunting them. -

JNgaroma, a.native, deposed that there were a number of wild pigs on the west' bank of the Thames above the mill..' '

Edward Quarterman gave evidence to the effect that the defendants- had shown him the. pigs, and stated that they had been pig hunting. , ' * j This finished the evidence. • i His Worship sentenced each ? fendant to seven days' imprisonment, and in doing so said he wished it understood iaat this pig hunting must be put a stop to.

, DESTITUTE PEKBOKS BELIEF ACT.

James Anderson was charged with refusing to support an illegitimate child, of which he was the father.

Mr,Brassey, appeared for defendant, •arid pleaded not guilty. • ' ;•: Mr Bullen said the mother of the child was in gaol, and would not be out for sometime, and he thought it would be well either to postpone it, or, withdraw it for-the present. .. Mr Brassey raised a point of law that as the information had not been laid six months after birth it must fail. The Bench pointed out to Mr Brassey that under the Act an information could be -laid six years after the birth. It was ultimately decided to withdraw the case for the present.

PETIT LABCENY. Mary Ann Bell was charged with stealing one antimacassar, and one tumbler, of the value of 3s, the property of W. J. Constant.

Mr Miller appeared for the defendant, and said that the defendant had taken the things, but had done so under the influence of a glass of brandy. Sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment with hard labor.

Another charge was withdrawn. Court adjourned.