STEALING ALLEGED

Northern Advocate, 14 June 1935, Page 6

STEALING ALLEGED

SHEEP THAT DISAPPEARED TWO MEN CHARGED DIET AT PUHIPUHI CAMP UNUSUAL EXHIBITS Six sacks containing (he heads, wool, leg bones and other parts of sheep, tins containing ears and' teeth and a formidable looking cudgel wrapped round with barbed wire, formed an unusual series of exhibits at the Whangarei Police Court this morning, when two men, one a Maori, were charged with sheep stealing.

They were William Reginald Hamilton and! William Albert Potter.' and both were charged as follows: — “That on or about December 11, 1934, at Puhipuhi, did steal one sheep valued at £l, the property of W. H. Reed, and on dates between September 29, 1934, and April 15, 1935, did steal 30 sheep valued at £3O, also the property of W. H. Reed.” 1 Messrs. C. F. Collins and A. J. MacKay, J.P.’s, were on the bench. A Farmer’s Story. William Henry Reed, a farmer, of Puhipuhi, said that part of his farm was sheep country. Last year he shore early in November. His sheep and lambs were counted at that time, and a record kept—47B shorn sheep and 190 lambs. Since then, he had sold 145 wethers and lambs, given 40 to his son, and killed 3 for house meat. Recently witness mustered his sheep again, at (he request of the police, and counted them. He then had a total of 449 sheep and lambs, a shortage of 31. Witness saw the accused Hamilton in about December, when Hamilton had a post splitting and milling timber contract on J. Edwards’ place, which adjoined witness’ land. Neither Edwards nor his son had any sheep, but witness’ sheep had been coming and going on to Edwards’ property, as there was no fence at one part. No other farmers had any sheep on that side. The accused Hamilton had about eight men employed, and Potter was one of them. “On March 30 last, I received certain information,” said witness. “I immediatelp rang the Whangarei police and went to the camp on the Sunday morning between 10.30 and 11.45. I went and called out, thinking the cook was there, but there was no one at the place. I, looked into the hut, as there was no door. The first thing I saw on the opposite side was a saw covered with mutton fat and meat, as if it had been used for sawing down a sheep’s carcase. The fire was smouldering, and on it was' a camp oven. I lifted the lid and looked in. There was part of a roast of mutton in it. I looked into the safe and saw the forepart of one sheep, from the neck to the loin. The neck suggested that the job had done by an amateur, butcher. Behind the mutton was an enamel dish with chops in it. From the appearance of the mutton, I was sure it had not come from a butcher’s.shop. I had a watch kept on my property without success. About May 4, I returned to sthe camp, and saw a man gather up some tools. He was Mr. Potter. I spoke to him and had some conversation with him. I asked him ‘Are you Potter?’ and he said he was. I asked where ‘Fizzer,’ or Hamilton, was, and he said he was in the ‘cooler’ at Russell. I asked him about the information I had received, and he said he had heard that he (Potter) and ‘Fizzer’ were being blamed for killing the sheep. I said to Potter that if he would ‘come clean’ and do what he could to clear the matter up, I would do all I could to clear the matter up. I said I did not blame Potter, but the man in charge of the camp. Potter said: ‘lf I talk, what about the others?’ I said I would d'o exactly the same to them as I promised to do to him. Potter then said: T only know five or six.’ I said: ‘Never mind how many you know; you give it to the police, and before you give any statement I will go to the police and tell them exactly what I am telling you jnow.” Interview With Police. Continuing, witness said that on the following Monday he went and saw the police at Hikurangi, and on May 10 he accompanied the police to Helena Bay. They located Potter there, and witness spoke to him. in the presence of the police, of what he had promised to do. The detective told! Potter that the police could not agree to' that, and any statement he made could be used as evidence against him. Potter then made a statement to the police, and said it was true. On May 13 Potter, witness, and the police met as arranged, and went up on to Edwards’ farm, where the accused Hamilton had his contract. Potter indicated a flat on the Way to Edwards’ where he was going to show the party the skins of the sheep Hamilton had killed.-He said Hamilton had killed eight sheep there. A search was made. Witness heard a conversation between the detective and Potter and Potter said he had shot a sheep. The remains found were examined, but witness could find no ears. Witness heard Potter saying he had not cut the cars off, but lie did not know if Hamilton had. The remains were produced. The head showed shot marks, witness continued, Potter saying that a shotgun had been used. Later in the same day another search was made, and signs of another

killing discovered. Potter pointed this out. The sheep belonged to witness.

The remains were produced' in court from the second sack. From a tin the ears were produced. Further up on another ridge, continued witness, more remains wore found (produced). This sheep had been shot by a bullet in witness’ opinion. There was a bullet hole in its head. The ears were missing.

The next exhibit was a portion of skin from the head, showing where the ears had been cut off.

Continuing, witness said Potter stated that sometimes a pearifle. and sometimes a shotgun, was used. Witness described the finding of further killings, the remains of which were produced. In all, the remains of six killings were found on Edwards’ farm. From four of the killings the ears had been cut off.

Witness described his earmarks and produced samples. His new mark had’ been registered for about two years, and prior to that he had had a diamond sign. The new mark was added to the diamond sign on old sheep that had been marked with the diamond. Some of the remains were well hidden, and they had to be searched for. It was due to the assistance given by Potter that some of them were found-. In every case, the carcase and carcase bones were missing. Only the remains were found. The locality was isolated, and there would be very little chance of anyone being disturbed. A Cook Testifies. Violet Selina Rosanna McGee, residing at Auckland, said she knew both accused. Witness was working at the camp on Edwards-’ property as a cook, commencing work two days after the contract had started. Nine men were working there, all living at the camp. While there, said witness, carcases of sheep were brought into the camp ini pieces, and did not require cutting up further. A sheep lasted about three days, mutton being eaten for each meal as a rule. Sometimes Hamilton, and sometimes ~his brother, brought the mutton in, but Potter had only brought it in once, when he went out with Hamilton and brought back a whole sheep. Potter said he got it from Reeds, and witness asked how much it cost. He did not tell witness, but said the skin cost 25/-, and they had sold it to Reed. Witness did not believe this, and said Potter was a liar. Hamilton was carrying the gun. Another Cook. Edwin Charles Stone, a camp cook, of Puhipuhi, said he was camp cook for two months. When witness started in the top camp, .where they were originally, Hamilton said he was buying meat from a farmer in the district. One lamb and one sheep were brought to that particular camp. Potter brought one in and said one of Reed’s' lambs bad been worried by a dog, and he had killed it. As a rule, a pearifle and knife were taken by Potter and * Hamilton when they went to. get mutton. Three or four days later, a sheep was brought in. At the bottom camp killings took place three or four times a week, and one night both the accused made a special trip and returned at about 9.30 p.m. with a sheep. The main diet at the camp was mutton. All the sheep brought in were freshly killed and not stiff. Witness told .Hamilton that one of the men was going to report Hamilton for stealing Reed’s'sheep, but Hamilton said he could prove where he got them. Six lambs and 16 sheep were brought into the camp by Hamilton and Potter at different times. A Camp Worker. Charles Berry Waetford, of Towai, said that Hamilton employed him, and he camped with the two accused and others. Mutton was the main diet. Hamilton and Potter used to go in the direction of where there was no fence between Reed and Edwards’ property when they wanted mutton. Witness asked Hamilton whose sheep they were, and he said they were sheep he had bought. Witness once heard Hamilton asking another man if he minded going with Potter to kill a sheep. The man replied .that he did not want to be hung, for killing sheep and did not go. Witness heard no reply from Hamilton. (Proceeding.)