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espectable-looking men like those who were arrested on suspicion... I
(Sturt Recorder, April 24, 1896:3)
For the next four years the licensee of the Royal Standard Hotel was the
subject of considerable newspaper attention. Few of the hotel's clientele
made court appearances and the Clune family appear to have been
reasonably free from charges such as 'providing liquor to Aboriginal
natives of Australia' and trading at illegal hours. However, Cornelius Clune
brought an action against William Baker, charging that Baker had 'with
intent to defraud, branded with a firebrand a steer which the plaintiff
claimed as his property.' (Sturt Recorder, April 9, 1897:3) When the case
was heard Cornelius Clune called his three sons, Hugh, Cornelius Jnr, and
Austin as witnesses, while Baker called four witnesses, at least one of
whom was a relative (Mr. Tom Baker). 'The defendant was clearly proved
to be the owner of the animal he branded (and) the case was dismissed
with costs of £4/12/0.' (Sturt Recorder, April 23, 1897:2)
Then in May 1897 'The town was thrown into a state of commotion...when
it became known that Mr. Cornelius Clune, of the Royal Standard Hotel,
had been arrested by the Police, charged with having meat in his
possession that he could not account for.' (Sturt Recorder, May 14,
1897:2)
According to the newspaper account, Mr. William Baker had sold a calf to
the local police constable, Senior Constable Wood. Baker, then in
business as a butcher, had admitted both the heifer and a cow of his were
in his yard with others on the previous Monday. As they could not be found
afterwards, Constable Wood had given notice to Mr. Baker to produce his
heifer.
'This put Mr. Baker on his metal and he went out to search for the cow and
heifer, feeling certain he would find them together, but could only find his
own cow and she had been recently shot in the ribs. This aroused his
suspicion, and on making further search he found tracks which led to his
giving information to the police...' (Sturt Recorder, May 14, 1897:2)
A long account of Cornelius Clune's court appearance followed, the
outcome of which was the imposition of a fifty pound fine. The fine was
paid, but a week later 'The carcase of a valuable horse belonging to Mr.
William Baker was found in the Evelyn Paddock.. .' (Sturt Recorder, June 4,
1897:2).
Later in 1897 Senior Constable Wood saw 'four pigs crossing Loftus Street
just below the Police Station... He looked into (the) pig yard where the
defendant keeps his pigs and there were none there.. .' (Sturt Recorder,
October 8, 1897:3). Cornelius Clune was found guilty of allowing his pigs to
stray.