Friday, February 15,1906 NATIMUK COURT OF PETTY SESSIONS Thursday,Feb. 15. (Before Messrs J.KEYTE (chair) and A. E. BEARD J.P.) William ROBERTSON charged Benjamin MANNING with using threatening words on the 28th January at Quantong and intimidating witness as an officer of the Western Wimmera Irrigation Trust. Complainant conducted his own case; Mr H. B. CATHCART defended. Complainant deposed that he was officer in charge of the water at Quantong. On January 27th he wrote defendant warning him not to interfere with the sluice-gate near Mr UNSTEAD'S, as all previous arrangements had been cancelled. Defendant replied that if the matter of distributing the water could not be settled by talking he would settle it some other way to his satisfaction. Witness wrote another caution. Which he left at his house while he went to his orchard about a mile distant. On the way thither he met defendant. He (witness) asked MANNING whether he would send his son with the letter to defendants place, or whether he (defendant) would call for it. Defendant said he would not call for it, and, having dismounted, walked along with witness in the direction of the orchard, adopting a menacing attitude and using threatening words. Shaking his fist defendant said "I'll take it out of your b....... hide with that". Witness was too old for fighting, and had never done any. He went to the police, who advised him to bring this action. He did not wish to have a conviction recorded; he simply desired that he be cautioned against creating another breach of the peace. He had nothing against defendant in his private capacity. Mr CATHCART remarked that after what Mr ROBERTSON had said he felt that no case would be met by the discharge of defendant with a caution not to disobey authority again. It was possibly owing to a misunderstanding that the high words had been used. The bench, having administered a caution, dismissed the case. Mr Ernest BARKER, of Melbourne, is the new director of the Horsham Working Men's College. Daryl Crabtree Gladstone C.Qld Australia West Wimmera Mail extracts are on the Web www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/goroke/index.html