The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-26 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE ROBBERIES OF SHEEP.

An extraordinary prosecution is now proceeding at the
Kilkenny Assizes. Robberies of sheep upon an extensive
scale have been going on for some time in the neighbour.
hood of Thomastown, and every attempt to discover th 6
perpetrators failed until recently, when suspicion fell on
three men named Tobin, two of whom, named Patrick
and James, are now on trial. They are respectable-
looking farmers, having two farms, one of which, con-
taining forty acres, was rented from a Mr. Andrews, and
the other from Mr. Marsh, of Spring Mount, near
Abbeyleix, in the Queen's County. In October 1867
Lord Carrick, Sir John Power, Mr. Franks, Mr.
Seigue, and other gentlemen living within a circuit
of about two miles round Thomastown, had several
of their sheep stolen. On the evening of the 11th of
September Sir John Power had counted a flock numbering
twenty-eight, and next morning found it reduced by two:
Patrick Tobin owed four years' rent to Mr. March, who
came on the 28th of November to Thomastown, and in an
interview with Tobin agreed to take thirty sheep in part
payment, and give a receipt for a year and a half's rent.
The sheep were conveyed by train to Abbeyleix. On the
13th of December Patrick Tobin sold four sheep in a
neighbouring fair to a butcher named Murray. On the
19th of December Sir John Power and other gentlemen
who had been robbed went to Mr. Marsh's land with the
police, and examined his purchases. Several stolen sheep,
and among them a ram, were identified. Four sheep-
skins were obtained from Murray. They were in
an advanced state of decomposition, lime having
been applied to them, but the ears were pre-
served, and in them was found the peculiar brand used
by Sir John Power—namely, a small hole made by a gun.
wad punch. An attempt bad been made to destroy the
trace of the brand by slitting the ears, but Sir John has
positively sworn to their identity. An amusing incident
occurred in the course of his examination. Counsel for
the defence tried to break down his evidence upon cross-
examination, and to shew that he could not be certain in
his identification. Serjeant Armstrong, however, pro-
posed to corroborate his testimony by producing on the
table the ram which had been identified, and which was
then within the precincts of the court-house. The
suggestion was at once adopted by the Lord Chief Baron,
and the reluctant witness was partly pulled, partly
propelled through the court, up tie steps, and on
to the platform on which the witness-chair stood. He
manifested at first a disposition to treat his lordship with
contemptuous levity, performing some antics which
afforded great merriment to the spectators, and almost
disturbed the gravity of the bench. The Chief Baron con-
siderately ordered some turnips to be brought in, with a
♦iew to ensure the decorum of the witness. After some.
little time he recovered his self-possession, and with an
air of calm dignity surveyed the court, especially the
galleries, and then uttered a couple of suppressed to-as,
the only evidence which he volunteered to give. He was
fully identified by the herd, and then very unceremoniously
precipitated from the table. He is to be produced again
during the trial, which has not yet terminated.