SUPREME COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 211, 6 September 1899, Page 4

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. I ;.j

Before His Honor Mr Justice !

Conolly.

ALLEGED HOUSEBREAKING AND

RECEIVING.

A middle-aged man named Arthur Sutherland was indicted that on 6th of August last at Karaka he broke arid entered the dwelling-house, of Arthur Clark and Leonard Clark and stole 2661b weight of kauri g,unv There was a second count that on the Bth of August, at Drury, he did receive the same, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained.. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. He was defended by Mr Theo. Cooper. The Hon. J. A. Tole prosecuted for the Crown.

The accused is a labourer living at Drury. Arthur Clark, Leonard €lark, and Joe Clark had a contract to do ploughing for Mr Williams, a farmer at Karaka, and in the course of the ploughing they got out the kauri gum, and it was placed in a one-roomed dwelling on the ground. The Clarks went home on Saturday, August 5, and when they returned on Monday to work it was found the door of the house had been broken open, and the padlock was on the, ground. There was a staple in the door, and this had been drawn out. Kauri gum in bags was produced in Court, which was stated by the Clarks to be similar to that which was taken from their dwelling*. This gum was received at Patterson s store in Auckland, where it was alleged it had been consigned by accused. In evidence Arthur Clark sairt accused lived six miles from the hut by the road.There was a navigable creek by which the gum could have been conveyed. Evidence for the Crown was also given by Leonard Clark, .Toe Clark, Wm. I. Hessell (station master at Drury), Wm. Queenin (foreman in Mr Patterson's gum store), and also by Mr G. W. S. Patterson and Constable Foreman. (The case is proceeding.) .JS