ALLEGED CATTLE STEALING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 277, 23 November 1927, Page 8

ALLEGED CATTLE STEALING.

FARM MANAGER CHARGED.

(By Telegraph.™--Own Correspondent.)

HAMILTON, this day. A Maori farm manager, Waaka Matenga (Mr. J. D. Davys), aged 50, pleaded not guilty i n the Hamilton Supreme Court to charges of stealing at Ongaroto 18 head of stock, valued at £48, the property „f W. W. Samson, It was alleged that while accused was managing Samson's farm at Ongaroto on November 30, 1925, he sold 13 head of stock, and that on July 17, 1927, he sold a further five steers that did not belong to him.

For th© defence, Mr. Davys submitted that accused had sold only those cattle to which he was entitled under his agreement with Mr, Samson. The remainder of the missing cattle could be accounted for by deaths. Counsel denied that accused had, taken anything that was not his.

K. S. Cox, sheepfarmer, of Ongaroto, said that in his opinion accused was perfectly honest. The disappearance} pf the cattle could be accounted for by starvation. As Samson's fences were in bad state, any stock could wander on and off at will. It would take <500 to put Samson's fepces in repair. Witness had been nipe years in the district.. By an arrangement with Mr, Mackenzie, at Atiamuri Bridge, settlers kept tab on all cattle going in or out of the district. Under crpßßrei{aminat}on. by the Crown Prosecutor, witness admitted slight differences with Samson, but denied that hi* evidence was coloured on that account.

Thomas Humphries, manager of a 10,PQO-aere sheep farm at Atiamuri, made tfce remarkable statement in cross-examinatipii that onjjr 1 per cent of skeletons wpuld- bo found " cattle died of starvation j in fact, on on® 800acre blpck aoo sheep were lpst, an 4 only five skeletons were fennd, though search extended pver three months. Thet case is proceeding.