Magistrate’s Court.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1802, 3 March 1886, Page 3

Magistrate’s Court.

At tbs Magistrates’ Court, Featberston, before Mr Reynolds, J.P., M. Hanratty was charged with being illegally on the premises of Mr W. Gilpin, storekeeper, and remanded on til Thursday. OBETTOWN-MONDAY. MARCH Ist. (Before J. Tully, Esq., and Dr Spratt, J.P. 0 i John Robert Stocks, a young man aged 20, •as charged on bis own confession with stealing • horse, saddle, and bridle, the property of Mr S. Vennell. Accused pleaded Guilty. E. S. Vennell, residing at Wainnioru, deposed :I am a station manager. I know the seemed ; be has been in my employ since December 17, IkAo. He botrewed a horse from me on the 23rd of Febrnary ; have ■ecu the horse since in the police stable amt paddock adjoining the Court. Have not authorised prisoner to dispose of the horse. The horse in the c >urt bouse paddock is ours. Waa not aware until last night that the horse had been disposed of; the value of the horse is £5,, he said when he borrowed the horse that be was not well, and would like to see a doctor or chemist. Gave him £4 the morning he went away ; never saw him the worse for drink ; be bote a good character. Robert Marshall, to Constable Eccleton : I am a drover. Saw the accused m Masterto a on 23rd and 24tb Febrnary ; we exchanged bonea ; I gave him £2 to boot for chestnut bone; the horse outside in the court paddock is the one I received from him in exchange. He said in answer to my question, that the horse was all right, aud was Lis own. The receipt (produced) is all 1 received from him lo prove the transaction 1 handed the horse over to the police when applied to ; accused ws* sober when lie exchanged the horse f r mine, it was about ten o'clock in the morn in;. To Bench : Had no knowledge "I the accused until Bn night before, ft na-t myself that first proposed to deal , uiy horse was quite equal in value to the one 1 riccm-1 from him. 1 met him first at Wagg's Hotel, MaaUrton. Constable Eccleton, sworn : Am a con stable residing at Ureytowo. On the 2oth of last month about (J o'c ock in the evening accrued called at the police station. Grey town, and stated he had sold a chestnut bone, the property of Mr Vennell, of Spring Bank, to a man named Robert Marahall at Neills Stables, Maaterton, on the 23td Febrnary ; be mid be got another chestnut horse in exchange, branded B on near shoulder, also tl in money. He said he stated to Marshall that it was hie own property ; he said be had told Marahall be bad bought the horse from Mr Vennell; he sieo stated that be had been drinking. A erased waa then charged with larceny se a baillie on the 25th Febrnary, by appropriating n saddle and bridle to hie own use. 8. Vanned to Constable Eccleton : 1 am a settle* residing at Oreytown , 1 do not know the aeenaad. I have beard that there was a ■addle and bridle of mine disposed of. 1 aannot identify the saddle (produced in (lovrt), but my eon eajrs it is ; have given no person authority to diapoae of it. I value the paddle «ad bridle at t4 10>.

E. 8. Vennell corroborated in main the evidence given by the previous witness. When prisoner left my place on 20th bVmiriry, he tsok the saddle and bridle produced in Court with him. I lent it to him. I received a telegram last night to the effect that the saddle and bridle had been disposed of. E. H. Buckeridge sworn : lam a hotel keeper and landlord of tue Maiquis of Normanby, Caxtertou. I saw the accused on Wednesday evening la<-t, 24th inst,, at Carterton ; he sold me then a horse saddle and bridle ; 1 believe the saddle produced is the one, but 1 could not swear (that it was. 1 gave prisoner £2 for horse, saddleand bridle ; prisoner appeared sober ; he told me they were his owu ; he said be was hard up ; I did not want the horse and saddle but he per sisted in endeavoring to sell them to me ; I offered him a price I did not expect be would take, as 1 really did not want them. I have thought since that be is not right in his mind. I think so still. Edward G. Watson sworn : I reside at Carterton , am a groom ; I know the accused ; saw him on the 24th mat at Mr Buckeridge's stables ; did not see any transaction ; was aware next day that he bad sold Mr Buckeridge a horse, saddle and bridle. I took charge of the horse from accused when be first came; he said he wanted it fed ; the horse. Ac., was left in my charge till next day. The saddle produced in Court is the same as Mr Buckeridge informed me he had bought. I handed the saddle and bridle over to the police on 27th February. The Bench taking all the circumstances into consideration, sentenced the accused to two months' imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently.