The Charges Against the Crabtrees.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5191, 23 December 1884, Page 3

The Charges Against the Crabtrees.

THIS DAY. The charges against John William Crabtree and Elizabeth Crabtree, his wife, were investigated in a preliminary manner this morning, at the Provincial Council Chambers, before E. Beetham, Esq., E.M., and F. J. Kimbell, Esq. The interest taken in the case 3 was shown by the large crowd of people which assembled to listen to them. Mr Raphael appeared for the accused, and the police were represented by Inspector Pender. The first charge taken was one of horsestealing, in wl^ch J. W. Crabtree was charged with stealing four fillies, two mare3 3 and two horses, together valued at about £80, the property of William Moir. William Moir, a miller and corn merchant, living at the "Styx, deposed that he owned some paddocks at Papanui and had some horses and sheep running in them. There were nine horses there about Dec. 9. Missed the horses on Dec. 10. Sent men to search for them for two days without success. The paddock fence was a very fair one ; there was a gate to it. Had seen the horses this morning in the police yard. Mr Stewart pointed out six horses to witness, and Mr Breadley pointed out two horses and Mr Nevin one. These were the nine horses witness had missed. Had no doubt about them. Eobert Stewart, one of the firm of Stewart and M'Lean, auctioneers, of Timaru, stated that he had seen six horses in the police yard this morning; they were the same that prisoner had Bhown to him at Timaru on Dec. 12. Prisoner wanted paddock accommodation for them for the night, and said he brought them from Rangitata. Afterwards, on Saturday, Dec. 13, prisoner entered the horses for sale in Stewart and M'Lean's yards. The horses were not sold, as prisoner was arrested. Samuel Breadley, hotelkeeper at Orari, 20 miles north of Timaru, identified two of the horses a? those which accused bad left at his place for grazing because they were footsore. On Dec. 12 last prisoner had other horses with him which he took south. They were the same now in the possession of the police. Prisoner said he had got the horses at the Bays. Robert Nevin, a farmer, at Levels Plains, near Timaru, said that the brown filly in question was fhe same accused Crabtree was driving on the Main South road on Friday, Dec. 12. The filly was done up and fotudered, and prisoner left it with witness. He had some other horses, which he drcye on towards Timaru. William Shephard, bridgekeeper at the south end of the Rakaia bridge, deposed that on the morning of Dec. io, about 7.25 o'clock, prisoner passed the bridge going south with eleven or a dozen horses. Austin Kirby : I am a detective stationed at Timaru. From information I .received on the morning of Dec. 13, I spoke to prisoner on the Great South road, Timaru. I asked him his name; he said it was David Gray. I told him that a man answering his description had entered some horses for sale at M'Lean and Stewart's that morning. I asked him if he would accompany me there, and he consented. When we got opposite the saleyards accused ran down Strathallan street in the direction of the breakwater. I pursued him, and arrested him in the Royal Hotel, and charged him with stealing a number of horseß belonging to a Mi* Moir, residing near Christchurch. Accused replied, "I know myself better than to give you any information." This concluded the evidence in this case, and the prisoner, who reserved his defence, was committed for trial. The male prisoner was then charged with stealing one horse, the property of John Cordy, at Eolleston, on Dec. 9. Btf ore the case was gone into, Inspector Pender asked if Mr Moir might be allowed to resume possession of his horses. Mr Beetham replied that there would be no objection if Mr Pender was sure the horses would be forthcoming at tho trial. Inspector Pender called — John Cord, a platelayer, living at Rollesi ton, who said, a dark brown horse he had

seen in the possession of the police . was his own. It was a gelding, and had belonged to witness for if months. Left the horse in his paddock at Rolleston on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 9 p.m. In the morning it was gone. There was a gate to the paddock, which was fastened. Samuel Breadley, licensee of the Oraii Hotel, repeated hiß evidence in the previous case. He added that he had seen prisoner riding this horse at Teinuka. • This was all the evidence offered, and the accused was committed for trial in the üßual form. Mr Cord was allowed to take possession of his horse on his undertaking to produce it at the trial. , The charges of larceny agaiust Crabtree and hia wife were then heard. Mr John Ollivier took a Beat on the Bench at this ; time. _ j Mrs Crabtree complained of indisposition, | and was allowed to sit beside her counsel. : John William Crabtree and Elizabeth • Crabtree were accused of stealing 20 sheets ' and 2 half-shoets of corrugated iron, 73 ■ feet of galvanised , iron piping, 2 dozen small pieces of bends, 2 pieces of lead, 2 strips solder, 83 feet match-lining, 1 force i pump, part of pipe threading machine, ! 2 pairs gas tongs, 1 pair crocodiles, 2 floor ; cramps, 1 air vessel, 5 taps with screw, aud 2 stop cocks, value .£3O, the property of James Goss, on Oct. 17 last. Henry Flavell, a plumber, living at Aikman's road, St Albans, employed by Mr , Goss, stated that in October last he was ' working at a houso for Mr Wilkinson, at Merivale lane, for which Mr Goss was contractor. There was a quantity of building material belonging to Mr Goss on the : ground. On Friday evening, Oct. 17, wit- j ness left the building at 4.30 o'clock. Be- i turned the following Monday morning and [ noticed a quantity of materials missing, j (List put in.) Reported the matter to j Mr Martin, the foreman, and afterwards j to the police. On .Dec. 15 went j with Detective O'Connor to a house in Queen street, Sydenham, and there saw five lengths of pipe, two pieces of lead, 20 sheets and two half sheets of galvanised iron in a back shed behind the cottage. Knew the sheets of iron by the general appearance of them, the lead by some scratches he had put on them, and the pipe was the same measurement as that stolen from the house. Had really no doubt the material was Mr Goss'. On the same day went with Detective O'Connor to a house in Phillipstown, and found a quantity of match-lining, two strips of solder, one bend, and one floor-cramp — all of which he identified as Mr Goss' property. The value of the material stolen was about .£3O, and that recovered about £12. Mr Raphael cross-examined as to tho identification of the property. Witness could not swear to the piping, the iron, or to anything except the lead, which witness had marked in a particular way. Re-examined : The sheets of iron which were missed were bent ready for a verandah, and all the pieces recovered were similarly bent. John Ballon, a carpenter, living on the South belt, Christchurch, also employed at the erection of the house referred to by the last witness, gave corroborative evidence. On Saturday, Oct. 16, he noticed that tha slip-rail at the fence of this house was down ; there were whcelmarks as if a horse and a light cart had entered. The back door was open, and two floor clamps and other articles were missing. Cross-examined : The articles found were similar to those missed, l^ut witness could not swear to them. Had not seen either of the prisoners about the place. Mary Jane M'Millan, a widow, residing | at Fourth street, Sydenham, stated that she had known Crabtree and his wife for two years. Witness rented a house from them, but only saw them occasionally when they came to collect the rent. They lived next door. About two months ago, one night between 11 and 12 o'clock, witness heard a trap stop at Crabtree's place ; heard a noise like tin rattling. Next morning, about 10 o'clock, witness saw some galvanised iron in her shed; also, ! some tools. Shortly after Crabtree saw witness, and said he had got a bargain in the iron. He had paid £5 10s for it, and was going to build a verandah. This was on a Saturday morning. Saw Crabtree and his wife at 3 p.m. the same day ; they came in a trap. Mrs Crabtreb then said she thought her husband had been buying some stuff to make a verandah. Remembered there was thunder and lightning on this Saturday, but could not fix the date. The iron remained in the shed till Detective O'Connor took it away. Cross-examined: Only judged it was a trap by the sound. John Biough Stansell deposed that he kept a record of the rainfall and weather. He had been meteorological observer for about 10 y«ar3, and had kept the rainfall ever since. On Oct. 18 there was a heavy thunderstorm with rain. Made record at 9 a.m. the following morning. Detective O'Connor deposed that on Saturday, Dec. 13 he went with Detective Neill to Crabtree'tf house, situated at the corner of Strickland and Gordon streets, Phillipstown. Saw Mrs Crabtree and her mother (Mrs M'Taggart) there. Searched the house and found some match-lining, two pieces of solder and a bend. On the following day went to Mrs Millan's house at Sydenham, and found 20 sheets and two half-sheets of iron, and other articles. Had arrested Mrs Crabtree on the Saturday night, and charged her with stealing the timber, iron, &c, in company with her husband. She said, " I won't go with you ; I don't know anything about it. I have never been out at night with my husband." Cross-examined: Found the iron in a shed at the back of Mrs M'Millan's house. The front room at Crabtree's house, where witness found some of the goods, was a kind of workshop. Robert M'Taggart, a boy employed by Mr Hankins, at Woolston, training horses, was a brother of Mrs Crabtree's, and lived in the house in Strickland street. The Crabtrees had two horses and a spring trap. Crabtree is in the habit- of going out at night with the horse and trap. Sometimes Mrs Crabtree went with her husband. Crabtree used to go out nearly every night in the week. Witness went out twice with him. Crabtree asked witness to go with him several times, but he would not go. Remembered seeing some match-lining boards in the house one morning in October. Crabtree had been out the night before, but witness did not see Mrs Crabtree go out. Cross-examined : Witness -.vas not sure of his name ; he had been told he was an adopted son of Mrs M'Taggart. Had left the I house because witness did not like to be there on account of this going out of nights. At one time witness had gone to Lyttelton with some of Mrs M'Taggart's money, intending to go to Sydney, but he did not do ; so, and gave up the lhoney (,£1 odd) to Mrs M'Taggart. Had kept company with bad women. After Crabtree and hi 3 wife had been out of nights, witness saw things in the house next morning he had not seen before. j Ke-examined : Was 16 years of age. Mrs Crabtree had sent him to work for Mrs Jerome, that was how he got mixed up with bad company. Annie Sarah Madeline Jerome, a married woman, living apart from her husband in Strickland street, next door to accused .- Had lived there for about five months. Had seen accused go out in the trap about 6 p.m. occasionally. On one occasion witness saw them coming home at midnight, and remarked, " You have been for a moonlight drive." Mrs Crabtree replied, "Ye 3; I've been to see a friend of mine, Mrs M'Millan." That was three weeks or a month ago. Cross-examined: Only saw accused out late at night on one occasion. It was a fine night. This was all the evidence. i His Worship remarked that there was not a jot of evidence against Mrs Crabtree in this case. She had certainly done nothing independently of her husband. The female prisoner was then discharged, and J. W. Crabtree committed for trial in this case. The male accused was also committed for trial on a charge of stealing a basket of carpenter's tqols, value .£B, the property of James Stubberfield. (Left sitting.)*