R.M. COURT, HAMILTON. + Tuesday.—(Before Mr H. W. Novthcroft-K.M.)

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2196, 5 August 1886, Page 3

R.M. COURT, HAMILTON. + Tuesday.— (Before Mr H. W. NovthcroftK.M.)

ALLEGED CATILK STEALING. Dennis Murphy was charged with having on the oLli July last, stolon a ro.m cow and calf and «i white cow, valued at £7 10s, the propel ty of one Walter Chitty. Seigt. McGrath prosecuted, and having opened thu case, called Walter Ghitty, who deposed : I am a farmer residing at Kirikmroa. In June last t owned a number of eattlo on the run at Kmkiriroa. The cows and calf mentioned m the information were with the others. I shortly afterwards mussed them, in July, I think on Monday, the 12th. I searched all over the run, but could find no trace of the cattle. On the 13th I attended Hunter's sale at Oluupo. I saw there the ro.tn cow produced heie to-day. She was in the saloy.ird, and I asked Mr Hunter where he had got the cow, and ho i*eplied that he had bought her from the prisoner. I stopped the sale and asked him if there were any other cittle with the one referred to, specifying a white cow and calf. I identified the roan cow by the brand. Previous to the time I missed the cow, she had a calf at foot. The cow in the paddock outside the court this morning is the roan cow I lost from the run. The other was a white cow, branded in a similar manner, with a "I) *' behind the shoulder on the milking side. I have seen a hide in possession of Constable Murray, which I identified as that of the white cow. I branded the cattle myself. I know the prisoner. I nover authorised him to drive these cattle off the run or to dispose of them in any way. William James Hunter, deposed : lam an auctioneer, and live at Ohaupo. I know the prisoner. I saw him last on the 6th July. He told me he had a few head of, cattle which he was bringing up to Buckland's sale, but as he was lato he would put thorn into my hands. I offered to paddock them for a week and sell them, but he asked me to buy them, and named £9 as the price. Ultimately I bought them far £7, giving him the money. He informed me that he had brought the cattle from Ngaruawahia, where he had them on the run. The cattle consisted of a roan cow and calf, a white heifer, a roan and white steer about 18 months old, and a roan yearling heifer. The roan cow now in the court paddock is the one I bought from the prisoner. I sold the white cow to Mr Cassidy, butcher, Ohaupo. The roan cow was subsequently claimed by Mr Chitty. I did not notice the brand when I bought the cattle, but when, Mr Chitty drew my attention to it, I saw the brand distinctly on the roan cow. John Cassidy, butcher, Ohaupo, deposed : I know the prisoner. I remember the 6th of July last, on which day I bought a fat white cow from Mr Hunter. I paid £4 5s for her. I salted the hide, and subsequently handed it over to Constable Murray. The hide outside is the one I referto. The pi isoner was at Ohaupo on the 6th July. He told me he had brought up some cattle that day belonging to a man at Ngaruawahia. George Edward White, butcher, Hamilton, depo&ed : I remember the 6th July last. I saw the prisoner on that occasion near Coated, going towaids Seddon's, driving some cattli 1 . Thore was one white beast, two light-coloured ones,, and two that I took to be ro in or red, and a red c.ilf. If I were driving cattle fiom Xgaruawuhia, I don't think I should r ike that road. Constable Murray deposed : I know tho accused, and from information received I went to Ohaup" <>u the 11th of July, to make enquiries about sruno cows that Mr (Jhitty lud repoited stolen. I saw Mr Hunter a,nd went with him to a paddock, and amongst a, lot of other cattle I saw the roan cow now in the court-house paddock. 1 recognised it at once from the description .Mr Ghitty had given me. I thon went to Ca^bidy's slaughter-yards, and found the hide of a white cow. I examined it but could find no brand at first, but on the following day I took possession of the hide, bvJ it thoroughly v.M&hed and hung it out to dry, and Mr Chitty identified it, ?,s belonging to his white cow. It vyas branded " D," indistinct, in the spot indicated by Mi Chitty. I know the road past Coated and Seddon's, and no person coming from Ng.iru.iWfihia would think of going that mud unless he had a particular reason for doing so. This closed the case for the prosecution. Pri&oniT made the following statement. About thiee years ago I bought two head of cattle from a man named Harry Harding on the Ngarnawahi.i run. Harding said he had bought them fr»m Mrs L>eegan. I brought them to Hajpiltjun and let them go on this run. He told mo they were bi anded "JJ," Deegan's brand. I suw them aoiue time after, and there was one calf with them, and the second time I went to see them there were two calves. I did not see them again until about a month or five weeks ago. I never looked at the brands, but I was told they were branded "D". I took them to the sale as my own, but at the same time I cannot swetr they are mine. Mr Deegan would know the beasts better than I could. I had not seen them for about fifteen months. To the Bench : Harding is at present working up on the line. The Bench asked tho prisoner if he wishod to have the evidence of Harding, and he said he did. Mr Northcroft said he would remand the prisoner for eight days so as to enable him to produce Harding, on the understanding that ho could be brought up at any time during the period. If Harding arrived the following afternoon the case would would be resumed then, Meantime he would hear the evidence in the other oasoa. The prisoner was then charged with stealing on the same -date a led and white steer, the property of one Isaac Coates. Isaac Coates, farmer and contractor, residing at Hamilton East, deposed : In June lust I bad a red and white steer running on the Agricultural College Reserve, Kirikiriroa. About ten days ago I got a letter from my man saying he had searched thecountry all over and could not find the beast anywhere. I saw Mr Chitty on the same day, on whose advice I went to Constable Murray, as there was a beast answering to my description at Ohaupo, Mr Chitty knew the beast. I saw Constable Murray that night, and on the following Tuesday I went to Ohaupo but could wot see the beast then. Last Sunday I a%ajn went up and saw my steer in a paddock there. It is branded with a horseshoe with the letter "C" hi the oentre. The boast now m the court-house paddock is my property. I never authorised the prisoner or any one else to drive the beast away-. If I were driving cattle from Ngaruawahia, no matter from which side of the river, to Ohaupo, I would not tako them past Mr Seddon's. I would drive them up this side (the West), of the river. Mr W. J. Hunter deposed to purchasing the beast, with others, from prisoner. Mr G. E. W hite, and Constable Murray gave evidence similar to that in the former case. A third charge, of stealing a yearling heifer, the property of one George Pearson, Hamilton East, was preferred against the prisoner. The evidence in this case was similar, and the court remanded prisoner on both charges for eight days. The witness called by the prisoner, Harry Harding, arrived in Hamilton from Kihikihi by yesterday afternoon* train, and police, prisoner, witnesses and cattle assembled at the Court, but after waiting for some time for the R. M., a message was received, stating that the court would be adjourned until this morning at 10 o'clock.

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