CRASTREE AS A WITNESS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2581, 25 April 1887, Page 2

CRASTREE AS A WITNESS.

Theprisoner Crabtree who bargained a notoriety through'his recent escape from Wellington gaol, had quite a hojiday on Friday last when he appeared ati a witness in ike E,M. Court, as tho following from a Wellington paper will show: —Joseph Dunsjau Trenery mid Elizabeth Tienery -appeared on remand at tho -Wellington Magistrate's Court on Friday afternoon and \yere charged withvunlawfully res caivinq stolen goods from the co&vict Crabtroo about the Ist February. Mr Skerrett conductedjthe defence. Crabtree was placed in the box in his : prison garb, and identified the male' prisoner as resembling in every respect.tho' man whom he saw sitting in Trenery's shop, and to him he spoke about goods that he had obtained " ou the cross," excepting that the accused did not appear quite stout enough. Cross-examined

by Mr Ski'iTfltt—Know that he vras:. not bound to identify accused as the man simply because he happciQgd to be a prisoner himself. Wasnotaimbus . : to please Inspector Browne by doing so. Mr Starred—Now don't be in., a : ; hurry. Witness (lolling back)— I'm v not in a hurry; I've plenty of time.■ v Mr Skerre.tt—On the evening when ; you went to. you not - rather: anxious 1 .tptness-- Well, no.' Mr Skerrett—Y.dft'-'knew the police '; were on your track. Witness—Oh no ;: they wore not on my track. • I'd passed . :: onea fewminule3previoiisly (laughter.) . .MrSkerrett-Vfell you knew they were v looking, after youl Witness—Why, 1.. was talking to one of them only a c*j£i-,■-. pie of hours before, so that therefjV no fear on that score.. Mr Sk'crreTC— . ; Well you wanted to get through your;. business quiokly and get hoine before youmefcanoth'erpolicemaut ', Witness —I had no home at the time (Laugh*, ter.) M r Skcrretl—You did not tako; any notice of this man? Witness— ; Yes; I'ni taking notice of you now. It would be a funny thing to turn my back to a nian when talking to him. In further cross examination witness said he bad particular rcasouß for looking closelyat the iriaij, but he preferred to ... keep those reasons to himself, Wanted to see whether ho was a certain person, ;•.. aud found tbat-ha was not, Believed ' that the man rtis dressed in the same mariner as. Trenery was now. Mr Skerrett—Well now keep your eyes off ■ him. Witnesst-All right (wheeling . round and presenting his back to the prisoners' dock : for,several minutes). Mr Skerrett continued to cross-examj*B Crabtrce very minutely, Witness said he had three; bundles when he entered the shop. Mr Sk-er^ett —WouldTlfcyuody else in the shdp.ie bound toTsefl that there were three bundles—l mean if he had a pair of eyes ? Witness-It wouldn't matter if he had four eyes; it would be.all the same.

Bobert Hay ward, an electro-plater, deposed to having purchased sonu silver from the malo accused, ActingDetective Walker and Detective Campbell also gave evidence. Both prisoners reserved their defence, and were com* milted, for trial. •