ALLEGED CATTLE STEALING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3279, 26 July 1911, Page 9

ALLEGED CATTLE STEALING.

ACCUSED' COMMITTED, FOR TRIAL

The hearing of the charge of cattle stealing against James Patterson vv«*s continued at the Magistrate’s Como yestei-cLay. . / Constable Doyle stated that in consequence of information received he saw accused at Te Kanaka. on June 4th, aim he saw he had come' to see about cattle he had taken from Jackson’s on May 20th. Accused - said he had remove* two calves from there at the request of Mrs Scrimgeour. Witness asked him why it was that when lie was going through Jackson’s he said he was going to look for a stud of Herefords or Mr Scott’s. Accused said he did go for the Herefords, which he got, and put them out at Scott’s homestead. The girl Scrimgeour was with him at the time, but it was before he came on the calves. In a written statement the accused! said that Mrs Scrimgeour had told him she had two calves on Jackson’s property, and wanted to get them in. lie said he would get them if he had a chance, and she sent a girl to point them out to him, Eventually he got the calves, which were pointed out by the girl. When getting the calves he saw a Hereford cow and calf belonging to Mr Scott. At Mrs Scrimgeour’s request he marked the calves, but he made a mistake and marked the wrong ears. The reason he went so late was not to lose another day. Witness pointed out that some peculiar statements had been made. Accused said he could not help that as he never had any cattle on Jackson’s property. Witness pointed out that lie had contradicted himself about the finding, of the Hereford cow and calf. He said he put them out with the two calves that Jessie Scrimgeour had pointed' out. Witness explained to him that did not coincide with what accused had said about first coming on the cow and calf and putting them on Scott’s homestead. The paddock that tlie calves were put into did not adjoin Stott’s hom -stead paddock. The land on which the rattle were running was overgrown with scrub and high manuka. The way the cattle were taken off Jackson’s was the most secluded way they could have been brought. Accused took the calves from Scott’s to Ivaitaratalii along a by-road. If they had been brought past Mr Jackson’s house there was every likelihood of their being seen. He then related the facte concerning the identification of the cattle. The Magistrate said he thought a prima facie case had been made out, and there was sufficient evidence to commit accused for trial. The accused reserved his defence and was committed for trial. Bail was allowed, accused in £SO and one surety of £SO or two of £25 each. Aedused was further charged with stealing a heifer valued l at £4, the property of Walter Wilson. Mr Stock appeared for accused, and lie agreed to the evidence given in the previous case being used for this case as far as it applied. Walter Wilson, a dealer; residing at Kaitaratahi, said that in March last lie purchased a heifer branded H over S on the near rump trom L. Boulton. About six weeks later he purchased a dark jersey heifer with the same brand. He gave him a-tent for one and! £3 for the other. They were running on Mr Jackson’s property at Kaitaratahi. He did not give anyone authority to remove them, Later on he went with Constable Doyle to Newman’s paddock and saw his red heifer there. He had same difficulty in finding the brand until Constable Doyle clipped the hair off. The brand was the same. She was freshly ear-marked, a square piece having been taken out of the back of the left- ear as far as lie could remember. The heifer was 18 or 20 months our. She was valued at £4. He gave no one instructions to remove or sell her.

Lorne Massey Boulton said he was a farmer residing at Kaitaratahi. About the middle of March he sold a red heifer to Walter Wilson and about a month later he exchanged with him a dark jersey heifer for a canvas tent. The heifers were running on Mr Jackson s property at Kaitaratahi. The age or the red one was now about 23 months, and she was branded with H over S on the rump. The brand! was that of Sharp Bros. He was present when they weie branded. On June 6th he went to Newman’s paddock and he identified the red heifer as one he had sold to W T ilson. She had! befen freshly ear-marked. There was a fairly large V-shaped mark, but on the left ear he thought. The acciised reserved his defence, and was committed for trial, similar bail being allowed to that fixed in the previous case.