A DEAL IN SHEEP.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 40, 16 February 1907, Page 5

A DEAL IN SHEEP.

, „ -^►■- ADAMS V. DRAPER

The following evidence was taken after we went to press yesterday:— James Draper said he had had 12 years' experience in buying sheep, and could tell the difference between stores and fats. He had a conversation with Mr Harris some time ago about the purchase of sheep. Mr Harris told him that Mr Adams had some sheep for sale. He told him that he would not give more than 10s. He went to Langley Dale and inspected 100 fat wethers. They were very clean and bright in colour, and he offered to take them at 10s. Mr Adams asked 12s. When he inspected the sheep they had a raddle mark on the face. He did not deal with Mr Adams then. They could come to no arrangement . The next he heard of the sheep was two or three days after, when Mr Harris came to him and said that Mr Adams would accept his offer. He did not know the drover who was engaged. The sheep being fat he instructed him to take three days on the road. He heard after the arrival of the sheep that some had been lost, and he went round to the Royal Hotel and saw the drov?r, and told him that he had better try to discover the lost sheep.' The next morning, 20th, Mr Harris came round and asked him to go and see the sheep. As soon as he sp'v them he told Mr Harris they were not his sheep, and he had -never seen them before. Mr Harris told him to wire to Mr Adams, and tell him that there was some mistake about the sheep. He did not do so, but wrote to the Loan Company. He did this because he was dealing with the Company. He thought that the sheep he bought were worth 12s. By taking the sheep that were sent he would lose about 6s on each sheep. He saw Mr Adams about Christmas time, and Mr Adams asked him what he meant by writing such a letter as he wrote to the Loan Company, and threatened to sue hun for heavy damages. Mr Adams told him then that the sheep were all raddled on the face. Witness denied that the sheep he got were raddled, and offered to drive Mr Adams down to the farm and prove it. He afterwards met Mr Adams, in company with Mr Harris, at the farm, where they inspected tlie sheep, and Mr Adams' ,agaißL:threatened him with an action at law. Iladdle was not easily removed, and remains for Tteeks. Witness produced a skin showing the i raddle mark, which Ihad "been on for three weeks. Blue raddle would go out mucker than red. In coming from Laneley Dale to Blenheim raddle should not foe removed; Cross-examined: Had liad many dealings with Mr Adams, and had found Mm a fairly hard dealer. He would not say that Mr Adams had deliberately defrauded him. If Mr Adams said that they were .good sheep still, witness did not;thihk much of his judgment. Witness did not brand tlie i sheep. They were branded by Ms man before he saw.them. He had no suspicion in Tiis mind before seeing the sheep that tihey were not "his. He sent I his man for 5 of the sheep that were lost and were impounded. • In this matter he was advised by Mr Reid, who was his agent, and told him that it would not affect the ease in ;any way. He could not have kept the sheep without branding them. He never knew culls to be sold as fat sheep. His man told him that the sheep \vere black poor. He -was not annoyed atrfin'dhig that the flock was 25 short upon"' anving an BlenTieirn.

John T. Mowat, commission agent, said he had had much experience with sheep. He understood the use of raddle. Raddle would remain on sheep for a week he thought. He saw the sheen yesterday. They were in fair condition, but not prime fats. John Sunnier Storey, sheepfarmer. Kaituna Road, said lie remembered on the morning of 17th of December a flock of sheep stopping at his place. They were good stores. They were not fit for the freezing works. They were not fat sheep . Assuming that they left Langley Dale at 4 o'clock and arrived at his place at 10.30 in the morning, he would not think they were over driven, or that their condition would be affected. If sheep were raddled on the 10th there ought to be some trace of the raddle on the 17th of the same month. There should be some trace, no matter how lightly it had been put on. He saw one ramstag among the flock in Mr Draper's paddock.

Joshua B. Rayner, fellmonger, said raddle made a distinct red mark if used on a sheep that had just been shorn, and would usually remain for some time.

George Lane gave evidence as to the time that raddle would remain on a sheep.

P. Meehan said raddle would remain on two or three months. No matter how lightly the raddle was used, some trace of it would be discovered three weeks after. He inspected the sheep on Draper's farm. They were decent sheep, merino wethers, but were not butcher's sheep in his opinion or fit for the freezing works. Good fat merinos could not depreciate in condition on a journey from Langley Dale to Blenheim.

Martin Vaughan said he was employed by Mr Draper. He remembered the drover, Morris, bringing a flock of sheep to Draper's farm. Witness's instructions were to brand the sheen as soon as they arrived, which he did. AH the sheep bought for Idling were branded upon arrival. The sheep did not look distressed upon arrival and were as black as ink. There was no raddle mark on the sheep beyond the cull mark . If the sheep had been raddled witness would expect to find traces of the raddle when he inspected them.

Cross-examined: The sheep were in a better condition now than when they first arrived.

Counsel for defendant asked for an adjournment as he was unable to produce one of his witnesses that day. His Worship could in the meantime see- the sheep. An adjournment till next Friday was made and His Worship arranged to inspect the sheep to-day at 2 p.m.