From Western Post & Mudgee Newspaper November 16, 1861 SHEPHERDS WANTED Wanted by the undersigned, six shepherds. Families preferred. Apply J B JONES, Gundare, Coolah Patrick MOREN, charged with stealing a mare. Mr. BRODRIBB appeared for the defendant. Constable CAMPBELL said that he went to Warrengunyah on Tuesday with a warrant in search of a mare belonging to a person of the name of CURREN. He found the mare described in the warrant about half a mile from defendant's residence. The mare in the police yard was the one he seized; he did not see the defendant. W. CURREN said the mare in the yard was his property; she was stolen from his farm at Oakfield on the 22nd April. He did not know the defendant, and had never seen him before. A party living at Cudgegong had given him information where the mare was to be found. Cross-examined by Mr. BRODRIBB: The mare was running in the open bush; he did not think that she would stray away from the place. For the defence, Mr. BRODRIBB said that the defendant knew nothing about the mare; he had been summoned to answer a charge he knew nothing about, and which they had not heard one word to substantiate. His client had never exercised ownership over her, neither was she found on his land. The Bench adjourned the case till Tuesday in order to obtain the evidence of the man at Cudgegong, who gave the information. Thomas BROWN and John BANNON, remanded upon a charge of robbing £50 of jewellery. Mr. BRODRIBB appeared for the prisoners. Henry DARE said on Sunday last he left his house with his sisters and Mrs DARE about a quarter past seven; the servant had left a short time previously. On his return from church he called at the mill to speak to the engineer, his wife and sisters walked home. Shortly after, one of them returned and told him that the house had been robbed. Upon reaching home he found that one of the windows was propped open with a flower pot. He went up stairs and found that a quantity of jewellery worth £50 had been stolen. The whole of the articles were in the dressing room when he left the house. He had often seen the prisoner BROWN at a cottage near the mill. Bridget FENTON, servant to Mr DARE, said she left the house about a quarter past seven, and returned about ten minutes to nine o'clock, when she found the back door open; upon entering, a tall man stepped up, slapped her face, and ran away. Another man came down the stairs, took hold of her hat, and tore it. She said to him, " Who are you?" and put her hands against her breast, and asked him "If he was going to murder her?" The man had a small writing desk in his hand, which he threw down: he then "drew" a kick at her, and ran away. Both men went across the paddock. She went next door to tell Mr TEBBUTT. On Mr. DARE's return she gave him a description of the men. T he moon was shining full in their faces, so that she could see both plainly, and would swear that the prisoners before the court were the men. The second man, before running away, attempted to blindfold her by pulling her dress over her head, which she succeeded in preventing by tearing it away. The prisone! rs were dressed in the same clothes as they had on, on the night in question. Mr. DARE re-called: The description given by the girl, on Sunday evening, agreed with tat she had given to the court. It so corresponded with the appearance of the prisoners, that he should not have hesitated to have apprehended them. The Chief Constable applied for a further remand until Tuesday, which was granted. John CARROLL, charged with being of unsound mind. Constable MORAN said he apprehended the prisoner upon warrant, charging him with being in an unsound state of mind. Hannah MARTIN said that she was a widow and had to support four children, the defendant was her brother; he had been subject to fits for many years; since his last, he had been so much worse that she did not consider it safe for him to be at large; she had no ill-feeling against him, he was, however, so bad at times that if not placed under restraint, he would himself or someone else. Dr. W KING said he had examined defendant, whom he had known for years, it was evident, from the conformation of his head, that he was of a very weak intellect, and considered that he ought not to be left to himself. He had no doubt that under the care of a guardian, he could be led about, and even made to do work. The sister said it was impossible for her to take charge of him any longer. The Bench bound him over to keep the peace, and in default of finding security, to be sent to Darlinghurst gaol for a month, with a view to his future disposal. ***END*** N.B. All care has been taken to transcribe the above accurately, however errors may have been inadvertently made. Spelling of names/places should be as appears in original. Transcribed from microfilm available from the State Library. Annette Piper Coolah NSW