THEFT OF CATTLE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10714, 18 October 1912, Page 6

THEFT OF CATTLE

(MTHHKKT ISKIDCK PLKADS (J L'ILTY. ".I don't kno-.j- why I stole the cattle, as I :■.";'.'ly had no reason to do so." The-:.: remarks WTO addressed to Detectivo Andrews, of "Wellington, by Cutbb-it William Brid.i" en Octol)or 7i!i, when admitting tivt he had taken fifteen animals from Wcllinuton it; O-.ki. near Yi'a--tert"»\ Bridge, whe ; f, a raiKvay porter, w.;arraigned at the Wellington Migi - , tratc's Court en • Wednesday en five Charges <>f stealing "attic, of (he total value of C 77 ">s. The allegations were that en or ahont l-">th he stole two cews and IV,ur heifer;; valued at £l7. belonging to Frederick Stephen Vutton ; a heifer of flje value of €3, the property of John Breon : four heifers, a cow, and a bull, valued :C2l. the property of "William Feu ton Bell: one heife- valued at '-'I. belonging to "William Aloxhani ; and that on August 10th, at Stokes Valley, he stele a heifer valued at i:> .")•■;. the property of Ferdinand Cnlciuai. 'Cliiof-'Meclivo Broborg conducted the pro'-ecuiieu and TMr T. i?. Wilford • appeared for .accused. Mr W. C> Riddell. S.AI., was on the bench, i The cattle, with the exception nf Cafcinai's (-".tile, had for some time : been running ■on the Tinakori liills, and on August 16th the various owners found them missing, ('omnia in! | was ?nade to the ])oliee. and Detective Andrews was deputed to investigate the matter. Tt appeared from the evidence that about 2-") minutes after Signalman John'Cooney went on duty at Upper TTutt railway station at 5 a.m. on August 17th, he saw a truck containing a number of cattle. Bridge was present, and in the name of J. Baxj tor consigned the herd to Solway. On October 2nd, Detective Andrews interviewed accused at the 3bistorton railway station, at which place ho was employed. Bridge made a statement that about 8 p.m. or P- 'A n , i,.m. on Saturday, August 17th. -..-bile cycling from Opaki to Afasietn. , w\ when about half a mile from jjs place, be met a horseman who was driving a. small mob of enHle. The I man asked him where be could find

grazing; for a night or two, as his cattle were tired. Bridge, offered ' him a place for two nights, the man .sayiig ho would pay Is a head per night for the large cattle and Gd a head per niglit for the, small ones. After directing the drover where to take his animals, !ie (Bnlge) went on to Mastorton. Me did not ask the man's name, as he thought lie would rail hack for the •attic. However, he did not see him 'il'ierwanh', and the cattle remained en his farm. On September 19th lie advertised about the Herd in the AYairarapa Daily Tines, hut received no rrpiy. He had also unsuccessfully advoitised them on other occasions. The man who was driving the cattle was , from 20 to 25" years of age, was not • very tall, hut he could not swear to his height on account of him being on horseback. The horse was of a hay or a blaclc colour or it might have been a chestnut, it was fairly dark at the time. The detoitivo. ;■•(•; uunnnied by Wittou. visited accii.'i'd':- 01-ae.rc farm at Opaki on October 3rd, and in the presence of Bridge. Witt.in identified fourteen cut of the fifteen head, i Two of the cows had been dolr:-: nrd. and accused said he hul done this because they were knocking the other cuttle about. When charged with stealing the cattle Bridge made no reply. Kour days later accused informed Detective Andivivs that ho had decided to plead guilty to the and make a clean by ::.i of the matter. He stated that when residing in Northland in duly he noticed a mob of cattle running on the Tinakor: hills, and he thought they were stray ones. He went to Mnstertm railway station in August, and whilst on leave of absence from the 11th tc the 27th of that month, lie went k Wellington. About 5.30 p.m. en Friday, the 10th. he went to the Tinakori hills, dr:>vo the cattle away tc the Upper Mutt, and loaded them ink. a cattle truck. The next mornin<! l;e consigned them to Sol way. On the evening of the 17th he took them k his farm. On three occasion? he advertised the cattle in n Mnsterton nowspap'' 1 ; - . but got no reply. He dir not know why he stole the cattle, a 1 lie really had no reason to do ; so, No one had assisted him in the theft. Bridge pleaded guilty to the "barges, including the one relating to Calcinai's heifer, and was committed k the Supreme Court for sentence. A< he had no previous maj-ks against his character he was liberated on bai (£•100).