In the Gore Police Court on Friday John Devoloskie was charged with having on January 22 at Waikaka threatened to shoot John Bucholz. Dr Macaffer JP and Mr. Souness JP occupied the Bench; and Messrs Aldridge and Henderson appeared for the complainant and the defendant respectively. John Halfke deposed that he had heard Devoloskie say that he would shoot Bucholz; that he tried two caps, which did not go off, but that the third would be all right. The threat was repeated and was accompanied by violent behaviour. In answer to Mr Henderson, witness made a rambling statement about a ghost with a long tail, which seemed to have been the cause of the trouble; but it was Bucholz that was to be shot, not the ghost. According to other evidence, Devoloskie had said a ghost was always coming to his house causing a disturbance among his sheep and frightening his wife; that he had tried to shoot the ghost, which had a long tail, and in all respects this one resembled Bucholz, whom he had tried to shoot. The gun, however, did not go off, but if it did go off he would shoot him. He was sober. Bucholz lost his wife recently. To Mr. Henderson, witness could not really say whether Devoloskie really intended to shoot Bucholz. The complainant gave evidence and was cross-examined by Mr. Henderson, his evidence disclosing little of importance or interest beyond the fact that the morality of some of the Germans residing at Waikaka could be questioned. Without considering it necessary to hear evidence for the defence, the Bench dismissed the case. Mataura Ensign, January 1883.

In the Gore Police Court on Friday John Devoloskie was charged with having on January 22 at Waikaka threatened to shoot John Bucholz. Dr Macaffer JP and Mr. Souness JP occupied the Bench; and Messrs Aldridge and Henderson appeared for the complainant and the defendant respectively. John Halfke deposed that he had heard Devoloskie say that he would shoot Bucholz; that he tried two caps, which did not go off, but that the third would be all right. The threat was repeated and was accompanied by violent behaviour. In answer to Mr Henderson, witness made a rambling statement about a ghost with a long tail, which seemed to have been the cause of the trouble; but it was Bucholz that was to be shot, not the ghost. According to other evidence, Devoloskie had said a ghost was always coming to his house causing a disturbance among his sheep and frightening his wife; that he had tried to shoot the ghost, which had a long tail, and in all respects this one resembled Bucholz, whom he had tried to shoot. The gun, however, did not go off, but if it did go off he would shoot him. He was sober. Bucholz lost his wife recently. To Mr. Henderson, witness could not really say whether Devoloskie really intended to shoot Bucholz. The complainant gave evidence and was cross-examined by Mr. Henderson, his evidence disclosing little of importance or interest beyond the fact that the morality of some of the Germans residing at Waikaka could be questioned. Without considering it necessary to hear evidence for the defence, the Bench dismissed the case. Mataura Ensign, 13 February 1883.

%META:TOPICINFO{author="PaulKlemick" date="1185036180" format="1.0" version="1.1"}% %META:TOPICPARENT{name="PolishArtilces"}%

-- PaulKlemick - 21 Jul 2007

In the Gore Police Court on Friday John Devoloskie was charged with having on January 22 at Waikaka threatened to shoot John Bucholz. Dr Macaffer JP and Mr. Souness JP occupied the Bench; and Messrs Aldridge and Henderson appeared for the complainant and the defendant respectively. John Halfke deposed that he had heard Devoloskie say that he would shoot Bucholz; that he tried two caps, which did not go off, but that the third would be all right. The threat was repeated and was accompanied by violent behaviour. In answer to Mr Henderson, witness made a rambling statement about a ghost with a long tail, which seemed to have been the cause of the trouble; but it was Bucholz that was to be shot, not the ghost. According to other evidence, Devoloskie had said a ghost was always coming to his house causing a disturbance among his sheep and frightening his wife; that he had tried to shoot the ghost, which had a long tail, and in all respects this one resembled Bucholz, whom he had tried to shoot. The gun, however, did not go off, but if it did go off he would shoot him. He was sober. Bucholz lost his wife recently. To Mr. Henderson, witness could not really say whether Devoloskie really intended to shoot Bucholz. The complainant gave evidence and was cross-examined by Mr. Henderson, his evidence disclosing little of importance or interest beyond the fact that the morality of some of the Germans residing at Waikaka could be questioned. Without considering it necessary to hear evidence for the defence, the Bench dismissed the case. Mataura Ensign, January 1883.