THE LARCENY OATS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4099, 28 April 1892, Page 3

THE LARCENY OATS.

Heggie Before the Court

In the Maatorton R.M. Court Hub (Thursday) morning, beforo Colonel Koberts, R.M., David Heggio was oharged on the information ot Sergeant Henry M'Ardle with the larceny between the'l7th and 1 Dili insts.,of fifteen sucks of oaiß of the vnlno of ■£4 IGs Gd, the property of Eobert Campbell, of tho Opaki. Mr PownaU appeared for the accused, _ Sergeant M'Ardle briefly stated the circumstances of the case. Robert Campbell, sworn, stated: I am a fanner residing on tho Opaki. About tho 17th of this month I had some oats stacked on my land. There were firsts and seconds of black Tartirianosts. On the 19th instl returned home, aftor being away for a few days, when I missed about fifteen bigs of black oats. I traced the marks of a vehicle drawn by one horse to and from Hie gate, The tires on the vehiole muat have been new, as the marks were cutout squarely, On the 20th inst I saw an express which I thought would be the one that had visited my place. Tho express was being driven by the accused. Heggie usually spoke to me, but on this occasion when 1 passed him he turned his head and looked another way. I have been shown some oak by the police, which look very much like my samples. The oats produced are very similar to mine, although they might have been grown on a similar land. In my oats a certain seed was very plentiful. Thiß I find is in the sample produced, I have never given permission to the accused or any other person to take away tho oats. I estimate my loss at between £i and £5.

By Mr Pownall; I havo inspected certain sacks in tbe possession ol the police, and they are similar to those I used last year, They had a green thread up tbe side. 1 cannot identify the sowing. I would not absolutely swear that the oats produced are uiino, ■ neither would 1 like to say the tracks ' coming out of the gate were those of Heggia'a express. I hare never seen the weed which is in tbe oats growing elsewhere The paddock in which they wero grown had not been cropped i for two years. I have sold no oats this season. 1 By Sergeant IT Anile: I neyer saw the side. The twine on the sacks in the possession of tbe police is similar to that used by me. John M'Lean, laborer in the employ of Mr Campbell, deposed: I was in charge of the threshing of Mr Camp J bell's oats last season. The oats were stacked in tiers of twenty sacks, When tho threshing was finished I covered them oyer. On the 17th, being a wet day, I went down to see the oats and found them all right, I discovered that fifteen bags had gone on the 20th inst. There was the head of a seed mixed with all the black oats, The sample produced is similar to that I brought in to the police. I could Dot sweat tilt- that they came out «f the one bag, All the sacks used had a green thread down the seam, This is the first season I have noticed this kind of seam, _ By Mr Pownall: The weed found in tho oats is commonly called, " hog weed,"

Constable Cashion deposed: I accompanied Sergeant M'Ardle to the

place of the accused on Monday. Two i bags of OBts were found in an unoccupied shed on a vacant section '.' about ten or eleven yards from Heggie's stables, A case of black oats, covered with ohuff, was found in the stable of the accused, and another in the hay shed with similar Contents. The oats in the case in the Bhed were covered by about half afoot of chaff, A bag was nearly filled with the oats from this case and taken to tbe station, I went to interview the accused with Sergeant M'Ardle. Heggiewas in bed, The Sergeant asked him how he became possessed of tho oats, and he stated that he bought them about a fortnight, ago from a man in the street near the shop of the Blacksmith and Wheelwright Company, He said he bought five bags at six shillings a bag, but did not know the man from whom he bought them, He said he might know him if he saw him again. Tho aocused stated he / paid for the oats in the street, but there was no person present to see the transaction. The accused said that after paying the man he took him over to the Club Hotel and ehouted for him,. The oats in the stable and those in the shed were similar. Beraeant M'Ardle gave corroborative evidence, Mr Pownall, on behalf of the accußfd, then asked for a remand until 2 o'clock, which was granted.