MAGISTRATE'S COURT, RAGLAN.

Waikato Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3646, 14 November 1895, Page 5

MAGISTRATE'S COURT, RAGLAN.

Friday and Saturday.-(Before' Messrs W. Thomson, F. b. Sewell, and J. N Peg!er,J.P.'s,) ALLEGKD OAFPLB STEALING. Four natives named K»ko, Huiao, Kete, and Kohi, were charged with having stolen a cow of the value of £5, the property of Ngawai Takerei, at Waingaro on August 11th last. _ Constable Tapp conducted the prosecution, and Mr Dyer appeared for the accused. Mr W. H. Wallis acted as interpreter. Rahu Hepata deposed to missing aw belonging to his sister, of which he had charge. Remembered the accused going out hunting on August llth. They returned on the following day with beef. Was told that one of the cattle was missing! Went to search for it and found the cow dead, his sister's cow. Found the hide branded (} T, with a ; piece cut out of it, also the head with the ear-mark. Charged the prisoners with having killed the cow and they admitted doing so, aud agreed to pay £B. Kawhana has since paid £4. I agreed to settle the -joase for £B. Other witnesses gave corroborative evidence;

Aihu beine called by the defence, deposed that he knew the accused. He had told the prisoners to kill some cattle, which belonged to his father and him. Did not point out any particular beast, belonging to thesamehapuasKaku. Kobe made a statement on oath: Am one of the prisoner's, don't remember going out on the llth August, remember going to shoot cattle in the Waingaro bush. ■■ Did not see auy brand or earmark before the cow was shot. We all admitted, when asked, that.'we had killed the cow and agreed to pay for it. When Raku cywe it was the first tiine I had heard that the cow belonged to Ngawai Takerei. In answer to Constable Tapp, Kobe said, he knew the difference between wild and quiet cattle in the bush,

Mr Dyer, in defence, urged that the prisoners had, nothing.tq answer, they had confaased that they had made a mistake, and as an arrangement had been arrived at between the partis, the Bench had nothing to do with it.'.; The accused had acted with perfect fairaeaa. Constable Tapp objected to this style of argument, and pointed out that no man had a right to compound a felony. The prisoners were committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court in Auckland, , .Kawhena was then charged with having paid £4, with the object, of \defeating justice.—Tho s Bench discharged this case.