Theft of Money.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12343, 27 August 1903, Page 2

Theft of Money.

TWO MAORIS BEFORE THE COURT.

In the Police Court on Wednesday, before the S.M., Rua and Jerry Power, two yoUng Maoris,- were charged, on remand, that on> Jutne 4th, at Okato, they did steal the s(um, of £113 10/, from, the perqan of Rich.'ar'd Henry Keats.

Sergeant Hiaddrell prosectated, and Mr Quilliam appeared for the acdused. Constable Woods interpreted.

Sergeant Haddrell said that on the elate in question Kfcats and some Maoris, including the two accused, met at Okato, and after being refused drink at the hotel the party sat ouitside and drank gijnritsi. Subsequently Keats came back to the hotel and tolu the landlord the Mraoris hatt knocked him down, and taken his money from hihim On August ISth one of the accused tendered a £10 note in payment for goods purchased from an In'Hian hawker, and this note was 1 identified by the landlord of the hotel as one he had given Keates.

Mr Qoilliamj .said accused were willing- to plead guilty of theft, thatisito say that they found the purse, and appropriated the money, but they neve.r stole it from Keats' person.

His Worship said he would like to hear the prosecutor's evidence.

Sorgeajit HaxM'rell called, (Constable L^ri'l, of Rahotu, who said that Keats complained to him! about being- robbed oi one £10 note, ore £o .note, a £1 note, and a 10/ postal note. He said he was in company with four Maoris-, and gave him the numbers of the £10 and £5 notes.

(Ten pound produced and number given). On August ISth he got the £10 note from Mjr Bakor, of the Okato Hotel. The note was on the Bank of New Zealand, and Keats said' it was on tha,t' Bank or the Bank of Australasia. On August 19th he wen,t w"ith Chatta vSingh, a hawker, to Puniho, to see if the hawser could pick out the man who gave him the £10 note.... Chatta Singh identified R'ua as the man who changed the note. He arrested R,ua, who d ended having any dealwigs with the hayvker on the previous day. Subsequently liua admitted he took the money frorh a pulrse, which he founid on the road, and said he would giive up the tilings he had bought from the hawser. Bua also said Jei-ry Power was. in with him. He got £5 in money from, Rua, who Had it hidden in a small whare 'at Puniho, and , also some articles iJiat Rua had purchased from ? the hawker. He afterwards .arrested

Jerry Power and charged' him with the offence. He accused Power of re-

cciving £2 proceeds of , the tfcert Power nodded hig^ head .and saM ','Yes.*' Alexander B&kor, licensee^ of, /the Okato 1 Hotel, said 'Koats came to ' the hotel on the afternoon of June 4th, and after being- there some time he i joined in with some Maoris, including the accuseid. ' ' Keats had three drinks, "and he shouted twice for the Maoris. He refused to give! Koats a fourth drink, and Keats afterwards said he wanted to take a bottle of whisjky home to his wife. On Keats pjroinising to get on his horso an\d go home he gave him the bottle. The Maoris left shortly after Keats, an|d they <were quite soToer. About 7 that -night Keats returned and said he had been robbed, and showed a' wet patch on his clothes" where he had been ' shoved aver. Before Keats canle back " one of the Haoris returned to the hotel, and bought a bottle of whisky. Wihen Keats returned to the hotels he appeared to be In a da/zed state* Soniedays after Keats gave him the number of the ten pojuind note. On August 18th the same munibered note was presented at his hotel and he i;in<pounded it. An Indian hawker presented it, and he informed the police. By Mr Qailliam : The Maoris lived in the same direction a« Keats. Tihe Maori who catue back for the w&isfey. had beem with Keats in the hotel. Tihe two accused wore looked on as quiet decent youmg fellows. By Jlis "Wbrsiiip : Keats said he had been pushed over and robbed, but Keats showed him no marks except a wet patch! on his pants. R. R\. Keats, an elderly man, said he now lived at Kaponga, but on June 4th last he was living on' Warca Road. On the afternoon of June 4 th ho went to the O,kato Ebtel, anic! , got in the company of five Maoris, and he shouted them tw,o drin,ks. He left the hotel on hiorsebacfk, and took a bottle of whisky witih h m. About a mile from the hotel he got off his horso and had a talk with the Maiorls he met at the hotel, vnfcluding the two accused, The Maoris asked for a drink oiit of the bottlei and he gave them the bottle, which was passed round. The bottle was subsequently emptied, and ho g-ave one of the Maoris money to get another bottle, which he wanted to tale home, but he did not rpm^urbex seeing the second bottle. ' When it got somewhat dark one of the Maoris puidiod^ him down, and when h« oame to his senses he felt for his purse arfd found that it had gone. The first 'bottle of whisiky he paid for out of his p,ursc, but for the second one he took the money from his trousers packet. He h,aid a £10 note, a £5 note, a £1 note, postal note, and a Cheque for £8 n hia pocket book. When he mj&jsed the money he went boick i<o the hotel arid reported what haid h:a!p]>oned. Next •morning he met a Mio<ori woman, -who had his horsy arid purse. She said she fountf the horse tied \».p to a fenice, ant) tho purse abotut two yards belli n-cl t. Tho pltor&e only container! the cheque. He had tiVc numbers of the notes "at h'onve, and gave them to the police and Mir Bafcer. The number of the £10 noio (pa^ofcltacetii) corresponded with tihe number in his pocket book. By Mr Quilliam : There wns a younij u;hmarri(tl woman namcrl M'atiti, or " ]\?ustard" with the Maoris, but he could not recognise her as the vounor Maori wOfrian in Co.urt. A Maori man 'wont ba'ok for the whisky on wH pops' horsft.

Tin's Worship thought there was no (Kviilonoß o\ ih(* stronger charge of stealing from the person.

Mr Quilliam said it was clear that Keats had got in pie company of the IVPaoris and got drinking ; that he became enamoured of M'atiti, and that he dropped his puirse and it was found by the Maoris who appropriated it, no doubt wrongfully. Ac-Mibed weie tJion asked if they would elect to be dealt with summarily, and they replied they would, and pleaded er,uilty to tlie theft. Mr Quilliam applied for probation. W. tl. Gray ga;ve eiv.iden.ce that tihe two accused bore good characters prior to thisi His W'prsihip admitted accused tp probation, the costs of the prosecution to be paid ; and the imlmediate refund of the prosecutor's money tc be marie. They were allowed six months to pay the oostt.

Tho £10. was retuirnod tq Chatta Singh, who gave gooids and change.