R.M. COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3517, 22 May 1890, Page 2

R.M. COURT.

MASTERTON-WEDNESDAY.

, (Before Colonel Boberts, 8.M.) 1 AN ILLICIT WOKSI. j Gurote continued his evidence as j follows : r They had previously met at a ball. j Finally ho said he must go home _ and go to bed. He had work to do | on the morrow. The man told him he was a coppersmith. Told him in j German that he was going to finish j an article for a still. Did not tell him what part. Said it was for a [ "dry tall man living in the Waira- , rapa, Masterton."' Did not mention | the person's name that thearticle was I for. They then parted, the man ! saying he was never in Masterton. | The article was to bo finished ou [ Saturday to go up by the Monday's , train. He (Gurote) came up by the , afternoon train, and had seen the '. box on a cab at the Btation. The [ box was lifted down in his presence | by another, man than the one he had been drinking with, Had next seen the box about a quarter or twenty ! minutes before the train started, in , the presence of the man who brought it. He'was shepherding the man 1 because he liked to know what was up. Took a ticket to Masterton and got into the same carriage as the man who brought the box down. Was watching all the way. At'lurupuni he Saw a box dropped out. Could not say that it was the box, Half a dozen people got out, The man who'came to the Wellington in a cab took the box, he (Gurote) being behind to " shepherd" him. Saw the man go past Mr Thompson's. Tho man took a rest at the swamp, aiid then went on to the corner of the road leading to Carterton. Borne boys were making a noise outside Mr Mackay's shop. The man went round them, and went : up thepassageleading into the Star i Hotel, Heard the box drop, Heard ] his footsteps on the gravel. Followed | up to the gate,, and saw' somebody i come out of the houso with the man j who oarried the box, Thought it was { the manager, but could not swear. ( (He was here asked if the manager 1 was in Court, and although Mr Wei- t boarriewas in the front row,he said f he could not recognise him). ' t Examination oontinued}. Heard { the rattle of keys, and the opening of t a door, and the box was "shoved" t into the building. Had'seen the ( building since but not before. I. i resembled a stable with boxes in | The door was looked and the men. ] weuWnto the house. He (Gurote) ( then went'up to the Boyal Hotel > and bad some tea. Saw who had Jcome up in the If not the man who brought'the box. i He advised them to stay at McOolPs, j At about-ten o'olook he met Con- \ itabjegwain and held »

with him, gave him a hint by saying " 1 Bow something oome up from .Wellington for a distillery." Swain told him to go to Price. Went to the Sergeant in the afternoon of the following day and gave information. The worm had never been in his custody nor had he any connection with it,

To Mr Bunny: It was getting towards dark when ho met the men,'.near tlie Melbourne.Hotel,. Willis'. Street. ■He was' goini? towards ,Fraser's Lane,. The man. said "Hullo, where did you spring from ?" They were together quitfc three hours, had; six or sevori drinks, and a talk, and the man sang a song in a quiet sort of a way. Told him nothing as to where he lived, or where he was :i working," He did not ." ask the man's name, >lt is. .not the. German custom'." The ooppersmiirh' was a short stoutly built man, nil the hair on his face growing, andj about middle-age. His were aroused about this particular box because of the easy way in which it was handled. He could take ail the plant of a still in a bag on' his back.

. On Mr Bunny remarking that he appeared to know all about it, the prisoner said it was by what he had beard.'

' [At this stage tho Court adjourned until 2.80 p.m.] On resuming, (Gurote was further oross-examiued by Mr Bunny, .When M he saw the men with the o'oVve i yanoe'i in Wellington, he was opposite the railway station, Ho could not say who dropped the box out of the train at iiuripuni. The train Btopped for a very little while, and half-a-dozen besides himself got out, Did not know any of these by name. There were two Scctohmen, an Englishman, aud three others, who wore living with him in the same boarding house. He had not said in his evidence in Mrs Cranmer's case that only three men got out at Kuripuni, He got out of the train in the proper way, and saw the man take the box. Was not heated when he got to Mrs Ottoway'a.Took his mate's down to' the Argyle,fl because they did not care about stopping in a hotel. Could Bweav that Welbourne was the man who came out. Could not give any reason for informiug Constable Swain. Ha patched tho German for his own interest, and for the country, but was not paid for it. Wbb not'asked by Bwain where the worm' was, Had not seen the coppersmith since visit to Wellington. Had applied to" nobody for money in connection with the case. Met Welbourne in Wellington, but had no conversation with him, Went on to the premises of' Mrs Cranmer at dusk on the 15th April, and looked through the oraoks to sea if he could see the box,.;'He then went in and lifted it up. This ' was after he had spoken to Sergeant Price.

By Mr Skipper; Had new used the fire escape at the Royal Hotel. Did not know where, Mrs Dorset lived.

To Mr Bunny: Pat Cowan gave me- the "five bob." I do not intend paying him baok, This was the- evidence for the defence,

Mr Bunny said ho would like to oall Mrs MoColl to prove that three■;.-,.. men had not stayed at tie Argyll' jßoarding-housi on the 14th April, I Elizabeth McColl,'sworn, stated that she did not remember partiou-' lady the 14th of April," To the.bost.fr of her belief there were no in her house on that date.. '' By Mr Skipper: T.ook no memor- , andaofoasu'alboarders,''•Theymight. . have stayed at her' house, but she did not think they did. The Court was then adjourned for: fifteen minutes. At the expiration of this time, the Benoh announced that the information would be dismissed without prejudice.