RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 402, 13 November 1868, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THURSDAY. (Before J. Griies, Esq., E.M.) EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE. James Harper, an elderly man, was charged with having maliciously placed across the public highway, a number of logs with intent of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Thomas Jones and others, and against the peace, &c, of our Lady the Queen. Peter Heron, who was the first witness called, stated that on Sunday last he had driven Mr Jones's

express van or coach between the Orawaiti and Westport. lie left Weslport for the last time about dusk. The road was then clear of obstructions. He did not return to Weslport with the coach, but, leaving it at the Orawaite, came back with the horses. He was lidiug back, and, just after he had passed Mr Gi son's Hotel, the mare he was riding stopped short, and shied off the track. He then foUud a number of posts and rails, which had been taken out of the fence, placed right across the wheel-track of the road. There were more than a dozen, placed three or four yards apart. He supposed that the road was obstructed by posts for a distance of a hundred yards. Had the coach been driven fast in the dark, the springs would have been broken, or it might have been upset. When he had passed the ' logs he saw a man lying down, off the roadway, and near the fence. A match was struck, for the purpose of seeing who he was. Tne man said •' Go on," "Go on," but the witness replied " I want to see who you are," and one of the men who was with hiin, named Miller, held the lighted match to him, and he was recognised as the prisoner. The prisoner sat up against the fence, and was laughing. Previously, he was lying on the grouud, at full length. He appeared to be sober. Thomas Man el corroborated Heron's evidence as to the circumstances. James Henry Gibson stated that the nan had been in his house ou the evening in question, and had left it to her. There was a tent near hand, which he said he occupied. Thomas Jones, owner of the coach, said that at the time of the late flood he had some angry words with the prisoner abou*" his cutting down some i trees in the neighbourhood of the , bridge. Detective Lambert had arrested : the prisoner in a public-house in ! Westport. He asked the prisoner why be had removed his tent from the place where he was camped, so early on Monday morning. He said he had not been camped there, and he had not removed his tent, for he had none to remove. The Magistrate remanded the case until this morning, until he should cousider what was the proper method of dealing with it, it being rather an unusual charge. He would take bail —personal security, £4O, and two other securities £2O each. The prisoner asked to be allowed to make a statement, but the Magistrate said he would hear his statement when the case would again be called.