The Cattle Stealing Cases.

Manawatu Herald, 20 May 1893, Page 2

The Cattle Stealing Cases.

The public curiosity in the cattle and horse stealing cases is not to be gratified for a few days. Yesterday two of the accused were brought up and remanded, and today two others were before the Bench and also remanded for eight days. Young was admitted bail, and McLean remanded, but as legal objection was taken to this course, another Bench of Magistrates' will consider the propriety of granting bail or confirming the decision as it now stands. No evidence was taken, it being apparently considered by the Bench that it would not be in the interest of justice that any details should be made known, and the Sergeant of Police, who took charge of the prosecution, remarked, in reply to Mr Fitzherbert, who is appearing for Young and the two McLeans, that the best detectives in the colony are engaged on the case, but as yet they have been unable to work up the details. There* is a good deal of item in the air in the shape of rumours, and these show that the case is positively without parallel in the history of the colony. The case is being slowly unravelled, and when all is known, the details will read like an Australian romance. It seems trom what has transpired that Syleski and Hunter have been the leaders of the gang, carrying on the crime of cattle and horse stealing systematically en a large scale on the coast for at least two years past. It was shrewdly suspected that they were not cherubs before that, as there is some talk of their having done something of the kind in Australia. It is also now alleged that these two made those now in custody, to some extent their dupes, and they kept their whereabouts secret from the rest of the gang, and merely gave instructions to their subordinates where the cattle should be driven for sale. It is also now well known that Young has turned Queen's evidence, and that his confession implicates a

large number of peoole, among whom are several well-to-do people, but only qualified credence is given to his statements in regard to them. However, one of the men now in custody named Gibson is a farmer living near Hawera, and, that being so, there is a possibility, that .soin#> rumours connecting others with the gang may be correct. Indeed, one Hawera gentleman I interrogated, who is in a position to know, something of what is going on behind the official scenes, said there would probably be names brought up which the public would not dream of identifying with a business of the kind. Six informations have now been sworn against Murdoch McLean and four against Gibson. ; To show what intense interest is being taken in this case by some persons in the vicinity of Hawera, Mr Barton, who appeared for the Crown, when opposing bbar;U r ; mentioned as a very remarkable circum stance that when accused^ were previously brought before the court two young men'were in waiting outside, aud that immediately the decision was given'these persons galloped off, evidently to communicate the result to some person. It may be mentioned, too, as an evidence of the uncertainty which surrounds the whole affair, that Young, although he had confessed, telegraphed to Mr Fitzherbert, of Palmerston, to come and detendhim. — Advocate.