MUTILATING A COW.

Messes W. Duncan and H. Hammosd» justices, were engaged yesterday taking evidence in the case of Ah Chew, Ah Yum, Ah Choy, Ah Say, Ah Ching, Ah Moon, Ah Yup,' and Men Ken, who where charged with having mutilated two cows at Kings-1 land, the property of William Freeney. Mr S. Hesketh appeared for the defendants

The following evidence was taken subsequent to our going to press. Edward D. Halstead, veterinavy surgeon, deposed to having examined tho cows. One was terribly mutilated, having no less than 11 wounds," some of them 9 inches in depth/ Witness produced the piece of hide showing tho cuts. He said that the axe and knife produced might have made some of; the cuts. "-'.Kil

Detective Hughes deposed to enquiring' into the matter next morning. He saw a cow lying down alongside the creek near the Chinese gardens. He described the wounds. He jiotice'cl abouij 30 yards from where the cow lay ; he taw that the bottom rail of the fence had been broken. There were fresh cattla tracks in the Chinese garden. He found some blood in the garden and there were cattle tracks near by. An animal appeared to have been lying down there. That was about 84 yards from where the cow waa found. He also saw blood nearer to where the cow was found. There were tracks of a cow getting out of the garden 40 yards from the place where he found the blood. He found a knife with slight stains of blood on it at the house, Ah Soy said he had been using it to cub meat for the cat. He found axe (produced) in the garden. There were blood stains on the handle. Ah Soy said it was his axe.

James Alexander Pond, Colonial Analyst, that he had examined the marks on the axe, and was thoroughly satisfied that the marks were stains:of blood. t The spota on the blada were generally disconnected with each other and bore the colour and appearance of dried blood. When received the blood was not quite dry, as though recently produced. The microscopic and chemical examination both bore out the fact of the .material being dried blood and mammalian blood. On the edgo of the blade were a few white and yellowish hairs.

Constable Arthur Dewes corroborated the evidence given by Detective Hughes. Sow Mcc deposed that he was at the Chinese Garden, Arch Hill, on the 19th of February, about 5.30 o'clock. He thought between 7.30 and 8 o'clock he heard a lot o£ noise outside the house of the prisoners.' He ran out and saw Ah Yup,Ah Ching, Ah Moon, and Men Ken chasing the cow around the garden. AhYup had a long1, handled shovel, Ah Ching and Men" Ken each a garden fork, and Ah Moon a hoe. He saw them striking the .cows. One, escaped and the other did not. He; saw others chasing the cows, buft those four used the instruments. Those four were wiring into the. cow when she was down. He saw 14 or 15 Chinese chasing the cows. He could also recognise Ah Chow and Ah Yum as chasing the cows, but they had no instruments in -their hands.

Ah Noon deposed that he was a gardener residing at Arch Hill. On the night in question he saw Ah Ching, Ah Yup, Men Iven and Ah Moon chasing the cows. One got away and one fell down near the ceek. He did not seej>anyone use an axe. The other four prisoners only chased the cows, but did not use instruments.

The Bench were riot of opinion that this was a case to go to the Supreme Court, and therefore dismissed the prisoners.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 57, 8 March 1889, Page 2