SUPREME COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 67, 19 March 1894, Page 4

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

(Before His Honor Mr Justice Conolly.) Alleged Cattle Stealing.— The charge of stealing an ox, the property of Frank Silva, of Mangonui, preferred against Henry Williams, ft Maori, whose native name is flenare Wiremu, occupied the attention of the Court until four o'clock on Saturday. His Honor, in Bumming up, said he would be sorry to see a man convicted under tho peculiar circumstances of the case. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, *Dd the accused was discharged. His Honor remarked that the case might have bee;i settled in another Court lie regretted that the case had been sent to him.

TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS. Tho Court eat this morning at eleven o'clock, when a new common jury was sworn in. Alleged Wounding an Ox.—Samuel Cummins was indicted and charged thab on the 26th of January, at Arapohue, he did feloniously, unlawfully, and maliciously wound one ox, the property of Daniel Keaue. — The accused, who was defended by Mr O'Meagher, pleaded not guilty, and witnesses were ordered out of Court.—Mr Tola prosecuted for the Crown and stated the cage. Mr Tole said the facts of the case were peculiar, and were founded on uircumstantial evidence. The prosecutor and his sons owned certain cattle and the accused also owned some beasts running on some neighbouring land. On the day before the 26th January the accused had expressed his determination to shoot some cattle, alleging thab the cattle were wanted for the gumdiggers for beef. On the next day tbo accused was Been at nine in the morning carrying a single-barrelled gun in his hand and some teal. This evidence would go to show that the accused had had a eun in his hand. Later in the evening shots were heard from the direction of the accused's hut This aroused suspicion. Thu prosecutor wenfc to the bush where his cattle were located to look for a bullock ho had, and found tho beast badly wounded ia the head. The bullock gob worse and by direction of the constable it was destroyed. Bullets were extracted from the beast and suspicion fell on the accused. His houße was Bearched and come bullets were found in it alleged to be similar to the ones found in the bullock. A gun which had apparently been recently discharged, with an explosive cap in the nipple, was also found in the house. When the accused was arrested on the charge, ho said that he know nothing about it. After the evidence of the first witness, the caeo was abandoned, and the accused discharged.