A RUNHOLDER CHARGED WITH ARSON.

Press, Volume XLI, Issue 6153, 9 June 1885, Page 2

A RUNHOLDER CHARGED WITH ARSON.

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INVEBCABGILL, June &

James Maben, a runholder at Benmore,; was charged at the Police Court to-day -with attempting to eet fire to etacksof a deferred payment settler, whose homestead is about four miles from Benmore. The prosecutor's statement was very circumstantial. He said that about three in the morning of the 21st May he and his wife were aroused by barking of dogs, and on looking out of the window saw a glimmer of a match near the stacks. Without dressing he ran out, and got within four paces of a man who, he was positive was accused. The man ran to a horae which was hitched to a fence, mounted, and rode away. The prosecutor eried —"You may as well stand, Maben; I know you." He then went back to the house, loosed the dogs, and set them after the horseman. He rode into a steep gully, where the dogs bailed him up, and O'Donnell went up to within two pacee of the man and satisfied himself it was Maben. He told him he would make him suffer for it. The horseman, replied— " All right," and rode away. On the afternoon of the previous day Maben rode through O'Donnell's farm, dismounting at the etaske, and when O'Donnell challenged him for trespass he threatened him with a stockwhip. On the morning after seeing the man at the stacks found two sheaves pulled out of the middle one, and three parts burnt, and matches at butt of them. O'Donnell said he had no ill feeling to Maben, but had been witness aroinst him in a trespass oase brought by a neighbor. For the defence, Maben's housekeeper deposed that he came home on the 20th about dusk, took the saddle off the horse, and turned it out. Did not think he could have got out of the house again that night without her, knowledge. The window of hie room wa» railed, down. Her dog would give the alarm !if anyone moved in the house at night. A neighboring settler depoeed that O'Donnell bore a bad character among the settlers. He would not believe his state* meats on oath. He had reason rto have illfeeling to O'Donnell, but had been subpoenaed. At this stage, counsel for the accused applied for an> adjournment to procure further evidence against O'Donnell's credibility, and the hearing was adjourned to the 16th inst.