CLARE POLICE COURT.
Saturday, 23rd March.
John Hoiles was charged with having stolen a trough and some bark, the property of George Murray, of Cadlunga.
George Murray, sworn, deposed that he went to Mr Hoiles’s house and found bark there belonging to him and a trough. He asked Mr Hoiles, in the presence of the police, what had become of the bark, only one piece being there at the time, but he made him no answer. He then asked what had become of the trough. He said “I have taken it to the place where I took it from.” When about half-a-mile from Mr Hoile’s house, he (witness) saw something lying near, and upon looking found it to be the trough planted. He could swear they were a fixture on his property.
The bark was here produced, and the prosecutor swore it was part of his property by certain marks. Had marks on the trough so that he could swear to it. One end of the trough, since he had lost it, had been knocked out.
George Jones, sworn, deposed he could not swear to the bark, but the trough he knew to be one that was at Jones’s station, and he could swear that it is the one lost by the prosecutor. He cleared out the trough for six months when he was shepherding there.
This was the case for the prosecution.
The defendant then called
Richard Jones, who, being sworn, deposed that the trough taken by Hoiles was placed there by him, was his property, and Hoiles had his permission to take it.
The case was then dismissed, which prevented the defendant from proving (as he stated) that he had bought and paid for the bark.
Richard Jones was charged by Joseph Kaynes, Cadlunga, with the like offence, but the case was settled out of court.
