SENSATIONAL CASE AT CARTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2829, 22 February 1888, Page 2

SENSATIONAL CASE AT CARTERTON.

An Absentee returns and claims his property.

The case of Adam Armstrong v. Thomas Blaokwell which was decided at Carterton Court yesterday is one of curious and interesting circumstances. The occurrences which led to tho matter reaching the Court were brought out iii the evidence of the defendant, Them Blackwell, who admitted that he had-broken the padlock to gain access to the property, but he stated that the land, which is said to be worth from £6OO to £BOO, was. really-his. This witness, who was about 28 years old, and had been out of the Colony for a number of years, then gave evidence which quite went into the sensational. Heproauceda Crown-grant of the property in question'(part-of seotion 17, Carterton) in favour of his father, torn.-. Blackwell,formerly policeman and laborer at Greytown. He also handed in a certificate of his father's death and one of hisown birth. He then went onto say that Mr Blaokwell, senior, had never sold the land, he had made some arrangement about the sale of it to one named Byrne and that individual had conveyed any right there might be in the transaction to aMr Collins.' The witness then related how upon his return to Carterton a few weeks ago after absence abroad, hefound a number of persons in occupation of the land including the plaintiff, Adam Armstrong all of whom had no original rieht to it except that given by continued occupation in the instance of those who Lid been there long enough to gain a title on that ground. Armstrong having only been there five years he determined to commence operations by taking possession of the portion of the property he occupied So first purchasing any possible interest Collins—the only person who could possibly have any real right—might have, ho broke the padlock, and allowed Mr Armstrong to bring him to Court on the present chargo of malicious injury to property. The transfer from Collins to himBelf, he mentioned, was In the Deeds Registry Office at Wellington, being stamped, so he. could not produce it at the present hearing. The Magistrate, after hearing the evidence, dismissed the case without costs, saying that as it was one. of disputed title the Court had no jurisdiction, We hear that notices have since been served on the prosent occupiers of tho land, Armstrong, Bennett, and another, warning them that action will betaken at | the Supreme Court to secure possession for Blaokwell.

Were the property valued at £B,OOO instead of LBOO the fore-going circura stances, extraordinary as they are, would afford admirable food for embryo novelists and sensational news'sheets; and as it is they are attracting more than passing attention from the public and the press.