THE CHARGE OF CATTLE STEAL I GAT RCXBURGH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1555, 27 August 1881, Page 14

THE CHARGE OF CATTLE STEAL I GAT RCXBURGH.

At the Roxburgh R.BI. Court on Tu. sday, the 16th insi., a case was heard which seemed to hiive created considerable sensation in the Teviot district. It was that of the Polke v. Bain, on a charge of cattlestealing. Sergeant-major Moore, of Lawiencc, prosecuted, and Mr Jamuts .Smith, ot .Dunedin, appeared for the accused. A vast amount of evidence was taken, the hearing ot the case occupy ins;- >ho Court about 3 4 hours; and Sergeant-major Moore and Mr Smith having addressed the Court, His Worship summed up. He said that, notwithstanding the grea<; amount of evidence brought forward by the pio-ccution, it was altogether insufficient to wan ant him in ."ending the accused for trial at another Court, and he quite concuricd in the remark msdo by Mr Smith, th.a the innocence of any individua brought into a court of justice was never more eloirly proven than on this occasion. The evi-d-neoo'thepiincipal witnes.(Johti Brophy)wa,» mo--t unsatisfactory. When a-Ued to describe the beast he showed tho greatest unwiiiimtne s in giving a description of it, ami only that his Worship wished to give t; o defentlanttheopportu/nty of bringing forward complete owdonce, he would have been sutiblieJ when the evidenco for the pio-ecution was finished that there was ntn t the slightest evidence to bring suspicion auain&t tho ace Bed. He therefore gave his judgment that tho case be dismissed, and tVmt the accused, William ' Bain, was discharged from that Court without the least I imputation or stain on his charactor ! The decision was received wtyh enthusiasm by the crowded Coittt.