A SHEEP WORRYING CA E

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 3 December 1914, Page 8

A SHEEP WORRYING CA E

At the Magistrate's Court, Eltham, §!\r TTn(^ day> before Mr Kenrick, S.M., H. P. Best, of Te Roti, farmer sued Rangimarama, a native, of Normanby, for £69 15s, damages allegedly caused by sheep being worried by the defendant's degs. The ckim was made up as follows: Loss of 10 twotooth Romney Marsh rams, £26 ssloss of one ewe. with two lambs, £1 10s; loss of two wethers, £3; damages due to biting of 18 other rams, £9; damages to flo?k by being worried and rushed about, £10; general damages. £20. At the hearing Mr B. McCarthy appeared for the plaintiff and Mr P. ODea for the defendant. Mr McCarthy, in outlining his case, said that on the 25th day of September last two dogs were observed by Mr Best worrying his sheep. His' son went for a rifle, and fired several shots at the dogs without effect. The doj?s made off across the -paddocks, and his son and a witness named Cleaver followed round the road to the defendant's house. There they found a dog which they assert was one of the dogs worrying the sheep. The witness Cleaver shot the dosz.

Evidence was given by Mr Walter Matthews, auctioneer, of Inglewood, as to the general character of Mr Best's flock, and as to his being a prize-winner at the shows. In answer to Mr ODea he "said that he could sneak only generally as to lots purchased by him from Mr Best; he had no personal knowledge of the sheep which had been killed..

■ Evidence was also given by the plaintiff on the lines of his counsel's onening, and by Charles Edward Cleaver, of Mountain road, farmer. The latter was under cross-examination by Mr ODea when the Court rose.

There is a cross-action by the defendant in the above action against Mr Best for £52 damages for the shooting of the dog upon the natives' property.