POLICE COURT.—THIS DAY.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4647, 26 November 1883, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—THIS DAY.

L. J. Bagiiall, Esq^JP) f TAPtf AGAIN. Wm. Good; juri.,fwas;charged with maiming and wounding cattle at Tapu, the property of M. McMahon. Mr Miller appealed, to prosecute, and Mr Lush : For the defence. •■"'■■ -•■;--'' Mr Lush objected to the information, as it disclosed two; bffencep, which it could not properly do. The Bench overruled the objection. Michael McMahon, sworn, stated that he knew Good, who resides near witness' farm at Tapu. Owned a red and white steer, /branded ;A M.; "It, had been wounded about the eyes, he believed with shot. It had been killed for the purpose of extracting the shot, because he thought it would die; valued the beast at £5 ss. . Robert Lowrie deposed that on Wednesday last towards evening he was gum digging on McMahon's land. He boarded with McMahon. He heard the report of a gun at seven minutes past six that evening; looked in the direction it came from, and saw a person, and the smoke of a gun rising above him ; this person had a gun in his hand. Continued to look, and saw that it was Wm. Good, junr. He was about 300 yards away, but swore positively as to his identity. Also saw a beast fall on its knees as if it had been shot. T?heaccused was about ten yards from it, look-" ing towards it, and the gun was pointing towards it. The beast was on Good's land, Saw accused go away about 40 yards, and then lost sight of, him. Saw no one else about at the time the shot was fired. About five minutes afterwards, went down to see the beast. It had red and white spots on it, and was branded AM on the side. It I appeared to have been wounded with shot on the side of its head. Saw the same steer that morning in McMahon's land ; after it was shot showed it to Detective Doolan..

: Iq cross»examination by Mr Lush the witness said be was not sent up to where he was by MoMahon to watch Good, nor was he employed to entrap the accused. There had been disputes between MpMahon and Good about cattle trespassing, Did not think that the steer had been shot with salt petre, but did not know exactly what snlt-petre was. There is a boundary fence between Good's and McMahon's, and some of the panels were down. J. Bj. Stead man swore that on-the.. 23rd' iust. he saw the Detective at Tap'u, and the latter asked witness to be present while some shot was being extracted from a bullock. Consented to remain; before the beast was killed an attempt was made to extract some of the shot but; it was unsuccessful. Afterwards about twentytwo pellets of shot .were extracted from the cheek, and near the eye, on the near side of the animal. The shot enclosed in the envelope (produced) wag, he balieved, the same. By Mr Lush: Did not think the shot had been in; the animal more than fortyeight hours, as the wounds were all fresh. There was no evidence that he saw, that the animal had been fired at with aoy thin.? else but shot. Richard Doolan; detective, deposed— From information received he went to Tapu on Friday last to serve a summons in this ease; Saw a bullock there belong* ing to M. McMahon ; was informed that it had been shot. Examine^ the steer to see what it had been wounded with— whether it was with shot or salt. . Did not succeed in extracting any shot iyfhile the beast was alive j it was then killed by the owner, and in Mr Steadman's presence the shot produced now was extracted from tho near side of thesteer's face, and about its eye ; the shot was sealed up, and had remained in his possession till opened in the Court to-day. . - This closed the case for the prosecution. Mr Lush asked the Bench if it was its intention to commit the accused for trial; if to, he would reserve his defence. i

Wm. Good, jun., was then formally committed for-trial at the next sittings of Auckland Supreme Court. Bail was fixed at the accused in £100, and two sureties of £50:. each. TheiCourt then rose.