THE MAGON CASES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1920, Page 6

THE MAGON CASES.

TRIAL IN MAGISTRATE'S COURT, j LOST GOODS PRODUCED I SENTENCE DEFERRED. Considerable interest was manifested yesterday in New Plymouth in the preliminary proceedings in connection with the trial of Frederick and Charles Magon, two young farmers, of Newall Road, Warea, on a series of charges of theft of various articles from farmers and others in different parts of the coastal district. There were in all 111 charges, including one of breaking and entering and theft from the blacksmith's shop at Warea. A portion of the Court boro the appearance more of a second-hand dealer's premises than a court of justice, there h"insr"an extensive array of articles, which had been recovered from the premises of the accused, when searched under warrant by the police. The exhibits included portions of cart horse and other harness, a saddle and bridle, a big hor. e collar, milking machine teat cups and piping, 6pades, axes, hammers, a rug, overcoats, a part coil of barbed wire, and sundry other small items, such as might be seen about any farm premises. Sub-Inspector .Rut-ton appeared for ti.e police, and Mr. Ronald H. Quilliam represented the accused.

BURGLING- A BLACKSMITH'S SHOP. The first charge heard was that of breaking and entering and theft at Warea, evidence being given by Juhn Thorpe, manager cf the business, who deposed to the loss of certain articles from the premises, and identified snir.-i of those produced as having belonged to his shop.

Evidence was given by Constables O'Neill (Rahotu), and Clouston (Opunake), as to executing a warrant to search the premises of the accused, who lived together on a farm on Newall Road, Warea. A number of civilians accompanied the police officers while searching the premises. A great many articles were found on the premises, which neighboring farmers in several instances identified as their property. The articles were found in different places on accused's property, who were unable to give satisfactory explanations as to how thev came to be in possession of the several articles. Tn regard to the charge of breaking and entering and theft, the usual questions were put to the accused, who pleaded not guilty, and reserved thendefence, being committed to the Supreme Court for trial. The charge of theft were then proceeded with separately, the proceediiv.'f consisting of identification of proper!;;; by those who had lost goods, and evidence by the ""lien sis to the, identifieo articles having been recovered from the accused's .-ei-ty and their being unable to sav to she satisfaction of the authorities how they came by them.

MUTILATED HARNESS. Various stories were told by witnesses as to the los-; of articles of property. One man, who had lost a paddle and bridle, saul his son rode a horse to a social at Okatn about four months ago. and the horse came home the following morning minus the paddle and bridk and loo'-ins as if it had been riddei. hard. He next saw the saddle at Mr. Fox's, when it had had the knee pads cut off, and vnrioue nnrts such as girth end M ; -.-'-nn leathers changed. The snddlc produced was identified as the proper) v of wi( Tiers' son. The girth and stirrup leathers were not his. but another girth and set of stirrup leathers produced were his. Similarly a bridle produced wn= recognised' by witness a? his propertv. though a neck strap had been changed, and the reins on it were not hits. A police constable, in giving evidence in this particular case, said the stirrup leathers identified by the previous witness were found on another saddle on accused's place, and that was also taken possession of by the police. Another man. who had been carting firewood in the Puniho district, and left a big horse collar by the road side, missed it two davs later, and though he had not seen it since that time he identified the one produced as his property bv certain marks upon it. He also noted that one of the off strap? had been cut off it. The police evidence was that the collar was found in a milk enn n- '■<>» uroperty of the accused, who practically admitted it did not belong to them.

THE "OLD MAN'S WINKERS." Tn another cane the police deposed to finding saddle breeching and harness in n vacuum tank on the property of accused the lid of the tank being screwed down

In another case a pair of "winkers," apparently from hiiv-v- harness, were the objects of investigation. They were identified by a witness, who deposed that thev were taken from his shed without his authority. Constable O'Neill said when he went to accused's place there were several sets of "winkers" hanging up in the engine room of the cow shed, and in reply to a question the accused said all the '-winkers" belonged to "the old man." A couple of days later he went to the place, again in company with nccuse;!'s father, who picked out the pair of "winkers" produced, .and said thev were nqt his. Detective Fitzgibhon caid that a. few da v.-, later he showed the "winkers." amongst other stuff, to the two accused and told them they had been identified as belonging to someone else, and in reply to a question as to how they came by them they made. - no answer.

I ACCUSED PLEAD GUILTY. At the conclusion of the police evidence Mr., Quilliam said in all the charges of theft the accused could elect to be dealt with by (he Magistrate's Court, and in some of them they had the right to he dealt with summarily, and if the Bench would give them tlie option they would elect to be so dealt with. They intended to plead guilty to the charges of theft.

Mr. Bailey allowed them the option of be ; ;i'/ dealt with summarily and Mr Quilliam addressed the Court in mitigation of the seriousness of the crimes committed, and asked that they should he given the advantages of the provisions of the First Offenders' Probation Act.

Accused were convicted on all the charges and His Worship said in view of the other charge on which they had been committed for trial he would defer sentence until after that trial had taken place. He also asked for a report on the accused from the Probation Officer. _An order 'was made for the restitution of all the goods except those connected with the case to go before the Supreme Court.