ALLEGED TRESPASS ON A RACECOURSE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10941, 17 April 1901, Page 9

ALLEGED TRESPASS ON A RACECOURSE.

At tho Magistrate's Court yesterday Andrew Jas. Rattray (Mr Cress well) charged Sydney Nettkford (Mr Russell) with trespassing on the New Brighton Trotting Club's course on the 21st last, and refusing to leave when ordered. Alexander Burrowes stated that lis had seen and heard Harry Feast, who was employed by the Club" for such purposes, order the defendant off the course at about 2 o'clock, and bed seen the defendant run off. Afterwards he saw him again on the course at halfpast five. He would be certain of the fact if filty people swore that he had been elsewhere. Harry Feast gave corroborative evidence, quoting the very words in which he had ordered defendant off the course. Defendant deposed that Feast had never spoken to him at all. Witness was on the course, *ayr Burrowes, ar.d walked off. He spent the rest of the day sitting in a trap with two men, named Drapper and Butler, and did not go on the course again. At half-past five he was in Christchurch. He had met Burrowes some days afterwards, who told him, so defendant alleged, that lie had "made arrangements to swear in Court that defendant had been seen on the course again." Thomas Butler deposed tbat he imd been in the trap with defendant, and that defendant had certainly not been out of his Right for a moment, since first he was warned, and had not been out of the trap for more than ten minutes. At tliis stage tie case was adjourned until the 30th of this month. Thomas Hullighan was also charged by Mr Rattray with trespassing on the New Brighton course on the 16th of last month. A quantity of evidence was heard, in which, his' Worship considered that "someone wa.s committing rank perjury." He fined defendant £5 and costs; and said that it was well for these people to knowthat they were liable to three months' imprisonment. If they persisted in setting the law at defiance by remaining where their presence was not wanted he would have to we this punishment. John Hyams was charged with similar trespass on the same date, and, according to the evidence of Burrowes, he refused pointblank to go off the course when warned, and defied witness to summons him. Defendant said, in defence, that he was inebriated at the time, and was not responsible for what he said. His Worship inflicted a fine of 40s.