THE SHEEP-STEALING CASE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4109, 9 May 1892, Page 3

THE SHEEP-STEALING CASE.

Kempton Before the Court

Hurry Kempton waß charged in the R.M. Court .at'Carterton-on Satuiday, before Colonel Roberts, R.M, with stealing and feloniously taking away on (he Ist May insiant seventeen sheep valued, at £ll Is the property of James Stevens, of South Carterton. Mr Beard appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Acheson for tho accused,

Kingi Ngatuere, sworn, deposed: I reside at the Waiohine, near Groytown. I know the accused. Saw him last Sunday, tho Ist May. Ho passed my place just' about, sunset, I did. not speak to him, but ho spoke to me. He.liad two horses, He was riding one and leadiog.the other. He had only .the two horses and was coming towards Carterton. Samuel Swan, sworn, deposed: I know the accusej,'f Hois my brother-in-law. lam living it home with my parents at Anderson's .line, Taralalii, The accused is also living at the same house, I saw him about six a.m. on Sunday last. I did not see him again until about 10 p.m, on Sunday. Ho told me he was going to Hatuotaro after his horses, Ho came up to my bedroom when he came home and told me he had bought eloven sheep. I saw some sheep in the p'uddnck ibout six chains off, but did not go to look how many there were. I saw them again on Tuesday morning They were mixed with some of initio. There were ten strange sheep mixed with my own. I drove them into the yard and put some black on the strange ones, The accused was there assisting me. He Miid we had better mark them, We also put some bluo on their heads. Wo killed one of the strange sheep on Monday night. It w«s dark and we did not know whether it was one of our own or one of the strange ones, The accused killed the sheep und skinned it and hung tho skin over the fence. The head was skinned by the accused and the skin thrown away, The sheep was killed about nine o'clock on Monday evening.

Stephen Swan deposed that he was a farmer residing at the Taralahi.' The accused was bis son-in-law. He was residing with witness at his house, Witness did not see the accused on Sunday last. He saw him on the Saturday, Ho saw some sheep in the paddock either on Monday or Tuesday. He counted fifteen in one lot, and ten or eleven in the other. He did not notice the murks, too one told him where they came from. The paddock where the ten or eleven sheep were was about eleven chains from Anderson's line, The skin taken off the sheep that was killed was intact as far as he could see, He was with Constable Eccleton when the premises were examined on Wednesday evening. At this stage Mr Beard applied for a remand. The accused was then further remanded till Thursday next, at 10 a.m. Bail was allowed in the sum of £2OO.