Alleged Burglary at Papakaio

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9478, 4 February 1907, Page 1

Alleged Burglary at Papakaio

(Before Major Keddell, S.M.) The charge of burglary against John Fiudiay was cone-hided on Saturday night, when the following evidence wad called for the Crown:— Alfred Milieu said that he was rabmtjng at Steward Settlement early in October together with his son, and they had a tent pitched on the road about three-quarters of a mile below Tomlrnson's by the Ferry road. There was a steep terrace about 2£ chains above the camp. On the night before the Kurow races (4th October), between 11 and 12 o'clock a man approached the camp over the terrace. He walked over the terrace leading a. bicycle, and going in tile direction of the Ferry road. He was dressed in a dark blueish suit, with white threads Tunning through it. The man stopped and spoke to witness and his son The bicycle seemed a handsomelooking one, "all sort of silver." Witness noticed on the head of the 'bicycle an attachment, something like that (the carrier) on the bicycle produced. Witness did not notice, the man's face. The man was putting Ms hand in his breast pocket the whole time he was talking. Witness was not standing aip alongside the man. Since that date witness was in company with accused in the gaol in Dunedin. At that time witness was half drunk and he could not swear what he said to him. After leaving witness' camp by the Ferry road on the night of the 4th October the man with the bicycle went straight down the road. ...

Edward Millen said that lie was with his father, the last- witness, on the night before the Kurow races, camped on the terrace near Tomlinson's, when a man wheeling a bicycle came over the terrace. Witness noticed that the bicycle shone very bright- in the moonlight, as if brand new. He did not notice anything strange about the front of the bicycle. The man lmd a peculiar way of speaking and spoke as if tongue-tied "in a "sort of soft way of speaking." He was a, man of medium -height- He went towards the Ferry road when he left witness and his father, after witness had given him a cigarette. This was all the evidence called on behalf of the Crown.

His Worship, after Tcading the necessary formula; to accused, stated that the evidence consisted of a voluminous amount of detail subscribed by a large number of witnesses. The finding of the bicyclo had added an additional link to the chain, although Mi- Hanlon had, in. a measure, shaken the testimony of some of the witnesses who identified the machine as that of Mr Bennie. There, was a prima facie case made out, and he had no alternative but to commit accused for trial.

Accused reserved liis defence, and was committed for trial at the sittings of the Supreme Court to be held in Oamarti on Tuesday, sth February.