The Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal, Wed 30 Aug 1899 1
BRAIDWOOD POLICE COURT.
Monday, August 28.
(Before Stephen Murphy, Esq, PM.)
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
George Izzard, farmer, of Farringdon, was charged with having on the 20th instant, committed a beastly offence.
Mr Ross appeared for the accused and Mr Sub-Inspector McKeague conducted the case for the prosecution.
Senior-constable Caldwell deposed: Arrested accused at his farm at Farringdon, on Saturday, on a charge of committing a beastly offence; accused made no reply to the charge; afterwards accompanied accused to a stable on the premises where he said the heifer was; he said he brought some chaff in a box and went round to put the box under her; accused said he hit her back with his hat; she upset some chaff; she was standing on some bags, that he got her by the tail and was pushing her over when the old woman opened the door and said “Oh, my”; the animal was a heifer calf; accused subsequently showed me a shirt (produced) with stains upon it; next day went to accused’s residence and saw his wife, who showed me the same heifer that I saw in the stable previously; I went to the stable with accused’s wife, who showed me an opening in the stable at the head of the manger; I saw some ropes in the stable and marks where they had been used; the box in the stable was about 6 to 12 inches high; the shirt produced is the one accused was wearing on Sunday, the 20th instant.
By Mr Ross: I asked accused to show me his clothes; the stalls were dirty; I have known accused for some time and do not know anything against his character; the box was an old one; in my opinion he could not have committed the offence without the box; the heifer appeared to be wild and inclined to charge.
Amelia Izzard, wife of accused deposed: I was at home on the 20th instant with my husband; no one else was present; about 10 or 11 my husband went to the stable with a box of chaff under his arm; I thought he was a long time in there and went half way to the stable, and heard a knocking in the stable; the door was shut; I looked through a hole at the side of the door; saw a heifer calf tied up to the manger, and the accused was committing the offence with which he is charged; he looked at me and left the calf instantly (witness minutely described the offence); accused when he came out said I was always watching him; I did not notice if he was standing on anything; I sent a message to the police by Townsend; I made a complaint to Mrs Whitely on the Sunday and also to Townsend in the accused’s presence; he told Townsend not to harbor me at his place; about two days after I got Mrs Whitely to write to the Sub-Inspector; a few days ago I came to Braidwood and laid an information against my husband; I pointed out the stable to Senior-constable Caldwell; accused said he would feed the heifer as she was poor; he was about a quarter of an hour in the stable before I went down; he is 60 years of age and I am 63; accused told Mrs Whitely I was mad; he threatened to make the place over to his son; I have had occasion to watch the accused, as he has committed the offence several times within the past five years; I have complained to the police about it, but have never laid an information to the police before; I have slept in a separate bed to the accused for the past five years; I told my husband I would not go back to him on account of what happened.
By Mr Ross: My first husband’s name was John Keevil; I left him before he died; subsequently I went to keep house for Mr Lovell and afterwards lived with accused before I got married; I don’t know how long I have been married to him; I saw the offence; I was too terrified to call out; when he came out the front of his trousers were open; have seen accused previously with mares, but did not lay an information, as my son was too sick on that occasion; my daughter saw accused in the stable with a turkey; when I made the complaints the police did not investigate the charges; I never took a will out of his box or threaten to leave him; accused may have asked me to get dinner after the crime was committed; it was about five or six years ago when I complained to the police about accused committing these offences; Mr Langworthy told me to obtain a warrant, which I did not do; Senior-constable Caldwell used to speak to me about these complaints.
Emma Whitely, a married woman, living at Farringdon, deposed: Mrs Izzard came to my place on the morning of the 20th and made a complaint about her husband of a serious kind in his presence; accused said the statement was untrue and that his wife was mad.
Alfred Townsend, laborer, living at Farringdon, deposed that Mrs Izzard accused her husband at Mrs Whitely’s of the offence; he replied, “Good God, do you hear that?”; he then turned round and went away; Mrs Izzard told me to inform the police, which I did.
By Mr Ross: I never knew Mrs Izzard to make a complaint like this before.
George Izzard, the accused, deposed: I fed the heifer in the stable; I gave her a box of chaff that morning; as I opened the door the heifer was facing the door in the middle stall; I went into the adjoining stall and was putting the feed into the box when the heifer came behind and upset the chaff; I hit her back with my hat and picked up the chaff; whilst I was trying to get the heifer away my wife said, “Oh, you wretch”; I did not know she was there until she opened the stable door; the heifer was not tied up in any way, as there was no rope in the stable; there is no truth in the charge; my wife has often made charges of the same character to me about my sons and also about myself; she has never had any foundation for making such charges; I have been married 19 years; my wife slept in a different room before she made these complaint; she has often said she would like to see me on the gallows; I find it impossible to live with my wife.
By the police: My wife accused me first at Whitely’s of this crime; I never thought she would accuse me of such a crime; the heifer was not tied up; I went to Whitely’s to get my wife to come home and get dinner ready and also to stop her mouth; I have been working in the shirt produced for a fortnight; I don’t know how marks came on it; there was only a green hide rope in the stable, which is close to the house; I was a quarter of an hour trying to get the bags away from the heifer and picking up the chaff; the reason why I went into the stable and did not put the feed just inside the door was that the ground inside the door was uneven and muddy; sometimes the heifer would not go into the stable without a lot of trouble.
By Mr Ross: During this time I have been wearing the shirt produced. I have been getting black briars up and slaughtering a beast on the 19th inst.
Accused was committed for trial at the next Quarter Sessions. Bail allowed, accused in £200 and two sureties in £100 each. Messrs W McCaffrey and J Burke were accepted as sureties.
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Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Sat 2 Sep 1899 2
BRAIDWOOD.
(From Local Papers.)
AT the Police Court on Monday, before the Police Magistrate, George Izzard, of Farringdon, was charged with a serious offence. Mr Ross appeared for the accused, whoo is 60 years of age. The information was laid by accused’s wife, who is 63 years of age. Accused deposed that there was no truth in the charge. Accused was committed for trial at the next Quarter Sessions. Bail allowed, accused in £200 and two sureties in £100 each. Messrs W McCaffrey and J Burke were accepted as sureties.
It is reported that Mr Wilkinson, PM, of Mudgee, will be appointed to the position of Police Magistrate and Mining Warden at Braidwood.
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The Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal, Sat 18 Nov 1899 3
BRAIDWOOD CRIMINAL SESSIONS.
Thursday, November 16.
(Before G Fitzhardinge, Esq, Chairman.)
The Magistrates on the Bench were Messrs Murphy, Deputy Sheriff, Read, Kenny and Hyland.
…
Friday.
ALLEGED UNNATURAL OFFENCE.
The charge, against George Izzard being called on and the jury empanelled, the principal witness for the prosecutor, accused’s wife, when put in the box, refused to give evidence. His Honor thereupon withdrew the case from the jury, and the accused was discharged.
This concluded the criminal business.
…
LOCAL NEWS.
———◦———
THE BAND.—The Braidwood Town Band under Mr T Hay will, weather permitting, play in the Park at 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon.
THE RAINFALL.—The following is the rainfall for the last three days:—Braidwood, 2, 40 and 45 points, making 94 points; Araluen 6, 5, 40, making 51 points. Yesterday morning and the previous night there were some heavy thunderstorms with vivid lightning. The ski appears to be full of electricity, and heavy thunder clouds were hanging about yesterday afternoon. The gauge at the Post Office registered 55 points up to 6 o’clock yesterday.
THE NSW LANCERS IN LONDON.—A private letter from London, just received, speaking of the passing of the Lancers through the city for embarkation for South Africa, describes the crowds and enthusiasm displayed as enormous, “Lord Mayor’s Show being a fool to it.”
MINING.—The two dredging leases taken up on Currambene Creek, Snowball, by Mr Manton on behalf of New Zealand capitalists, consisting of 100 acres each, have been measured by a special surveyor sent up by the Government. The proprietary companies have had the ground inspected by an expert whom they sent over here for that purpose, and whose report is looked upon as highly satisfactory. Three men have been employed for ten days thoroughly prospecting the ground with the most favourable results. But for the delay in surveying the leases, Mr Manton informs us one dredge would have been erected and at work by the end of the year. Everything is in readiness for making a commencement in sending up the machinery and putting it up, and it is expected the first dredge will be completed in four months and working operations commenced. Application has been made to the Mining Registrar by Charles St Clair and John Ebsworth for a water race and water right at Casley’s Gully, Shoalhaven River. The Clyde Engineering Company has secured the contract for the Shoalhaven River dredge at £6,300, the contract time being six months. Messrs Barrie and Cowdery, of Sydney, are the successful tendered for building the hull and superstructure for the Little River Company’s dredge. Both are being pushed on, and tenders for the balance of the Little River machinery will be invited very shortly. The engine is under construction now.
MR A CHAPMAN.—We regret to learn that our member is still confined to his room with influenza and cannot attend to his Parliamentary duties.
DESERVING RECOGNITION.—At a meeting of the Hospital committee on Tuesday evening it was decided to make Mr and Mrs Boswell, the warder and matron of the Hospital, a present of £10 in recognition of their services in connection with the late sports, art union, and sale of work, which, with the subsidy, will realise close upon £300.
SPORTING.—Mr WE Royde’s Alembic, in charge of J McCurley, passed through town on Thursday for Durham Hall. He was injured in a hurdle race in Sydney by being knocked over and trampled upon, and he had to be thrown out of work. Mr Royde’s bad luck appears to follow him. On Wednesday Aladdin injured himself while being treated to the hose for a knock on the leg and has been turned out into the paddock again for a spell.
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Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Sat 23 Nov 1899 4
BRAIDWOOD.
(From Local Papers.)
AT the Sessions on Thursday Dunn and Fraser, who were acquitted, were defended by Mr Betts, assisted by Mr Ross. On Friday the charge against George Izzard being called on and the jury empannelled [sic], the principal witness for the prosecution, accused’s wife, when put in the box, refused to give evidence. His Honor thereupon withdrew the case from the jury, and the accused was discharged. This concluded the criminal business.
1 The Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal, Wed 30 Aug 1899, p. 2. Emphasis added.
2 Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Sat 2 Sep 1899, p. 4.
3 The Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal, Sat 18 Nov 1899, p. 2.
4 Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Sat 23 Nov 1899, p. 1. Emphasis added.