R.M. COURT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1941, 29 May 1888, Page 2

R.M. COURT.

A sitting of the court was held on Friday, the 25th May, Major Tuke, R.M., presiding.

ALLEGED HORSE-STEALING.

Mauriri Nuku was charged that he, on or about the Ist April, 1888, did feloniously steal, take, and drive away one gelding, of the value of £5, of the "goods and chattels of one Bichard H. Seccombe.

Mr. Pardy appeared on behalf of the police for the prosecution. The prisoner was undefended. Mr. W. Carriogton acted as interpreter. The hearing occupied the court until evening, there being a number of witnesses on each side.

R. H. Seccombe said — I own the horse outside the court, branded HAM on off rump. The horse got out ot my paddock some months ago, and I heard it was near the Waiteika. Becently the prisoner came to me and said the horse's leg was broken, and offered me a pig for him, and the prisoner would shoot him and feed his pig 3 with him. A week after this I passed prisoner on the road, and asked him if be had seen anything of the horse. Prisoner replied, " No; I think he is dead." About a month or five weeks after this, prisoner brought the horse to my place. When taking the saddle and bridle off the horse, he asked me what I gave for him, and what I would sell him for. There was nothing the matter with the horse. He offered me four horses for him. He said he was a grand horse, wou'd go over anything. He then said he had bought it from Jacks for £1, and he said if he oould not get the money back he would kick him.

Bangiroa deposed that he knew the prisoner, and saw him at Oeo in April last; prisoner had a horse, and they agreed to exchange ; this took place at Ouri ; a week afterwards he was riding the horse he got from prisoner near Ouri, when a European accosted him, and asked aJout the horse , he then returned to Oeo and turned it out ; next morning caught it agaiD, aud tif-d it to a fence at the kainga, and went away ; on returning, the horse was gone ; from what the people at the kainga told him, he went to Tauire and saw the prisoner, to inquire about the horse ; he said he had taken it back to the owner, a white man ; the horse out* side the court is the same horse he got from prisoner in exchange for his.

Te Wira corroborated the last witness as to exchange of horses, being present. Bangiroa came from Opunake way ; the horse outside is the one Kangiroa received in exchange for his own.

John Clere deposed that he met Rangi at Ouri on Easter Monday, 2nd April ; he was riding the horse now outside the court ; knowing the horse was Seccombe's, I spoke to him about it ; the next day I saw the prisoner riding the horse at Punehu ; asked him where he was going with the horse ; he said he was going up to Jack's to get his money back, and " when I get my money I am going to take the horse back to Seccombe."

John Twomey, constable at Opunake — At beginning of April was making inquiries about Seccombe's lost horse ; on Bth April asked prisoner if he had the hotse ; he replied that he caught him on the run ; he asked where the boy Jacks was, whether he had cleared out ; and aUo said that he (Jacks' boy) sold him that horse for £1 at the Waiaua a long time ago.

J. D. Jacks (father of the boy Jacks) said he did not know the prisoner, and had not sold the horse outside to witness. Never saw the horse before.

Mauriri Nuku, being asked what be had to say to the charge, said Bangi Boa came from Parihaka on this horse, and left the horse on his farm (it was Seccombe's horse), at Mangahume ; the horse was bad in the legs, and he wanted to borrow a horse of his father and himself to take him to Normanby ; we lent him one ; he came back from Normanby on the same horse to Oeo ; I was there when he arrived ; he asked where his horse was, and I did not know ; we found the horse at Mangahume, and caught it; Rangi Boa got on the horse, and rode to Oeo ; I went down to Taireri ; Bangi Boa told me that Glere saw him on the horse, and told him to get the horse and take it back to Seccombe ; he told me if I met anyone on the road who asked me about the horse I was to tell them that I bought the horse from Jacks for one pound ; he also told me when I took the horse to Seccombe I was to ask him if he would sell the horse ; when I asked Seccombe to sell him he asked five pounds; Bangi Boa told me to go and get a pound from Jacks* aod if I did not get it I was to kick him ; when I came back from Seccombe, Bangi Boa told me if Twomey said anything about the horse to tell him I have got it on the run, and also to ask him where Jacks was, as I wanted to go and get a pound from him ; I told Twomey what Bangi Boa wished me to tell him.

Nuku, father of the prisoner, corroborated his statement as to Bangi Boa asking for a horse to ride in place of his own which was bad in the legs, and as to the prisoner helping Bangi Boa to catch the horse, and that his boy (the prisoner) remarked to him when he returned that; he thought it was a white man's horse. I never saw the horse and I do not know whether it was Seccomb's horse which was left at my larm by Baogi Boa. Pihekete gave corroborative evidence as to seeing Bangi Boa riding the horse from Parihaka on the 19th March, and be rode down to Matakaha and left the horse there, and walked to Nuku's at Mangahume. He knew Seceotnb's horse. It was the horse outside the court that Rangi Boa was riding. Ponhiorhi swore that Rangi Boa overtook him at Opunake coming from Parihaka on the 18th March. Tuhuparae corroborated last witness that Eangi Boa was riding a dark red horse with a bobtail. ' Haumiaohua was at- Ouri when Bangi Eoa came from Parihaka, and Eangi Roa said he had left his horse at the farm, and when he went to the farm be saw the horse there.

Wera, recalled by the prosecution, swore that he came with Bangiroa from Parihaka on 18th (Maori 19th) March; be was riding a red horse now in Opunake at the stable ; I rode with him to Mangahume and left him ; there the horse was bad in the legs ; the horse outside the court was not the horse he was riding, but the one at the public house is the one ; the two horses are not alike ; I was with Kangiroa when he passed Waiana; he did not have the horse he was riding at Matakaha, but went on to Mangahume.

This cloced the case.

The R.M. stated he should dismiss the information, the evidence not being sufficient to commit the prisoner lor trial.

The weather on Saturday afternoon and evening was unfortunately very inclement bo much to as to interfere with tbe holding of the public meeting called by the chairman of the Town Board to consider the qnesiion of promoting a regular steam service and other matters of local interest. A few settlers attended when it was decided to adjourn the meeting until Saturday 2nd prox.