ALLEGED SHEEP-STEALING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2711, 15 January 1910, Page 7

ALLEGED SHEEP-STEALING.

ACCUSED' COMMITTED FOR TRIAD

Wm. Jas. Knight (Mr. J .R. Kirk) was charged that on December, 1909, at Whao, near Te Karaka, he committed theft of 39 sheep, valued at £l9 10s, the property of Frederick Wanklyn Williams and others. Sergt. Hutton conducted the case for the holice. Eugeno Francis Sullivan, clerk of the Agricultural Department, Gisborne, produced a record of the Puhatikotiko station ear-marks, and gave the> numbers of the registered oivnere, 2043 Mrs. M McLean, 2044 Mrs. A. M. Gardiner, 2045 Miss E. M. Williams, and also produoed the earmark and number of Frederick W. Williams, 1537, and the accused 1953.

Lionel Gordon Saxby, manager of Puhatikotiko station, gave evidence that lie believed the station was owned by the throe sisters of Frederick Wanklyn Williams (Mrs. McLean, Mrs. Gardiner, and Miss E. M. Williams). The earmarks, produced, were all in use the station, and tho sheep were all marked, the different classes with different marks. All the sheep on the Puhatikotiko station were Romneys, with the' exception of lambs and rams. On December 22 witness, in consequence of information received, went to Puhatikotiko station to look at the sheep, and there saw Clias. Gaukrodger, the overseer. Witness examined the sheep, and found that 39 had been tampered with, .and on the next- day he carefully noted the marks, and saw that 21 ewes and 18 lambs had had some other mark put upon them. There were eight Southdown lambs and out of the plain ear three bits had been taken, and the tin- and back bit on the marked ear had been cut away to make it into a back quarter. The marks were perfectly fresh, and portions of the original maiks wore still there. The alteration had been made about ten days, the other ton lambs were Leicesters, and the earmarks had been altered, as had the marks, on the ewes, but what was left enabled witness to identify them as Puhatikotiko sheep. None of the sheep had been sold. Witness knew accused’s earmark, and on the thirtynine sheep mentioned, with one exception, an attempt had been made to put in his earmark. No sheep had boon sold at any time to accused. On December 24th witness and others mustered the accused’s sheep, but there were none of the Puhatikotiko sheep among them. He examined the boundary fence next to accused’s property, aird found that it had been tampered with, there being staples drawn and two gaps through which the sheep could pass. To Mr Kirk: The 39 sheep tampered with were found on accused’s property. Witness did not see them there, but he was> told they wore found there.

John Eglinton, farmer, Puba, gave evidence 1 that lie was to have taken over accused’s property on loth December last. The property was next to witness’s. Accused had on several occasions told witness he had been short of sheep. On 21st December witness and Tom Gedye, a shepherd on Mr. Patullo’s run, went over the accused’s property, in consequence of having seen some sheep there that lie did not know tho owner of. They mustered about 45 slicep, ewes and lambs, about 20 chains from accused’s whare. Witness then told accused that Gedye had noticed several of liis (Gedye’s) sheep in the mob. Accused said Gedye could only take the sheep with his ear-mark. Witness examined the sheep and found two -with Mr Patullo’s straight ear mark. Accused then came down to the yard andi witness told him they had taken two out, and asked him to look at tho rest and see if they were his. Accused said he had marked a lot lately, having seen sheen at Poliutu with ear-marks like his." Accused looked through tho sheep and said they were his. Gedye remarked that some were machine, shorn and accused replied: “No, I made a good job of it.” Witness noticed that alterations had been made in tno marks on tho sheep. Gedye asked accused was he sure he had not made a mistake and accused said ho had not. Witness told accused on the 22nd that the police had been making inquiries regarding the cheep, and accused said he would have nothing more to do with them. Witness accompanied Constable Doyle to accused’s whare on the 23rd December, and the constable asked accused did lie know his neighbors’ earmarks. Accused said yes, he did. The next day Gaukrodger and witness mustered 46 sheep on accused’s property, but he did not see any alterations in the car-marks. The first lot were found about a mile from the Puhatikotiko station. To Mr Kirk: To get there the sheep must have come through the fence. They could have conic- by the road if they had been driven. The alterations in the earmarks were very apparent, and in no way would have deceived anyone as to the original marks. Thos. Gedye gave evidence as te having spoken with Chas. Gaukrodger on December 20. Gaukrodger said lie had lost between 30 and 40 sheep. Chas. Gaukrodger, head shepherd at Puhatikotiko station, gave evidence of a similar nature to that of tile previous witness, stating that on December 4tli, at a mustering, 67 sheep were found short in two uad docks.

John Cooper, shepherd, employed at Mr F. Patullo’s, Poututu, deposed that he met accused on the Poututu block. They had a conversation about earmarks and p.ccused, said how easy it was to fako ear-marks, by cutting out the old marks, putting new ones on, and then putting a little,water on, so that + he next morning nothing would be left to show the alteration.

Constable Doyle, Te Karaka, gave evidence that on December 21st last he went to Mr Hall’s toi-toi yard and there met Ingleton and Gedye. They showed him 44 sheen in the yard, including ewes and lambs. They all had three bits taken, out of one ear, at the back, front and tip, which appeared to have been freshly done with a knife. The 39 sheep, the subject of the present charge, had also a fresh mark between the tip and back, but on the other ear, partly obliterating the mark of the Puhatikoti'ko station. There was a little blood to ho seen on the head. All the ewes with the Puhatikotiko ! mark were machine shorn. Mr. Gaxikrodger came along and witness anthorised him to remove the sheep and keep them apart from all other sheep. On the 23rd December witness went to accused and asked/ him if lie claimed the sheep that had been mustered into tin?! toi-toi yard. Accused replied “No.’,’ Witness said to accused that lie had claimed them oil the 21st, and accused answered that ho did claim them, but afterwards had a good look and found they were not his. Witness asked did ho not see they were newly marked, and the reply given by accused was that he had been marking some of his buwW lately. Asked whether it was not after he had heard the police were making inquiries that lie said the sheep were not his, the accused admitted/ it was after that. The accused then signed a long statement (produced). The statement showed that accused pad marked about 50 sheep at Poututu after taking the tip off. He had taken/ the

sheep from* a lot of over 100 on his land. Ho did not make an entry in his hook, and could not account for the Puha sheep and Mr Patullo’s sheep having' liis mark on. Continuing witness sakl accused had said on December 23 that if he got out of the sheep stealing charge he intended to start a boo farm. ■He also said he had lost about 60 sheep. Witness examined tho fence line between accused’s property and Puhatikotiko station on December 30. and found the staples drawn from all the wires on two posts in a hollow in the ground, thus allowing the bottom wire to rise over tho top of tho posts. In the next Puhatikotiko paddock the staples bad also been drawn from two posts. Sheep, to have got from those two paddocks to tho other side of accused's whare, would have had to cross two fences, two creeks and a hill. There was a small yard belonging: to accused, which opened into tho paddock in which tho sheep were found. Witness examined the. sheep in the toi-toi paddock and the ears were considerably mutilated. This closed tho case for the prosecution and accused said lie had no. statement to make and nleadcd not guilty. He was committed to the next sitting of the Supreme Court in Gisborne for trial, bail being allowed in personal security of £IOO, and two securities of £SO each.

Upon a second charge of stealing two sheep, the property of Frank Patullo, accused was further remanded till 11.30 a.m. on Monday, the same bail, being allowed.