ALLEGED SHEEP STEALING

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 226, 28 October 1914, Page 10

ALLEGED SHEEP STEALING

AT SPRINGSTON. At the Magistrate's Court this afternoon, before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M. Jas. Gasker (Mr J. A. Cassidy) was charged with the theft of two sheep at Springston on the sth of this month, the sheep beiug valued at £1 19/-, and the property of W. C. Dick. Donald Muir, stock agent for the New Zealand Farmers' Co-op., and in charge of the .sale yards at Springston, said he remembered buying 32 fat hoggets from the Farmers' Co-op., at the sale of October 5, for W. C. Dick, butcher, of Lincoln. He gave 19/6 a head for the sheep, leaving them in the yards overnight. The gates were securely fastened. Witness knew Gasken, who was at the sale with a horse and trap, which he left in a paddock at the back of the yards. He did not buy any sheep at the sale. Witness went to the yards about 6 o 'clock next morning, from something he heard, and found only 30, instead of 32, sheep. The gates were as he left them. The two missing sheep were found in the race outside the pens. They were two of the best sheep in the mob. On the 16th of October witness met Gasken in the main road at Springston-about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Accused said he had got into a deuce of a row the day before, but he did not sa.y what about. It would be possible for dogs to get ordinary sheep over the 3ft 9in fence, but not fat hoggets. Thos. Henshall, a builder living at Papamii, said that since September 1 last he had been building a house for Donald Muir at the Farmers' Co-op. Saleyards, together with Henry Hannibell and .John Harris. On the night of October 5 they were sleeping in buildings alongside the saleyards. About 11.30 that-night witness was wakened by someone opening the gate and going into the paddock at the side of the saleyards. Witness then heard someone putting a horse into a trap and afterwards drive the trap towards the road. He got out of bed to see what was happening and saw a man drive two sheep into the race, catch one, and put it in the back of the cart. Witness then woke his companions and put his head out of the door and told the man he had better put the sheep back. The man said he had bought the sheep. (Proceeding.)