GUILTY OF RECEIVING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1925, Page 10

GUILTY OF RECEIVING.

A BOOTMAKER CONVICTED. GOODS BOUGHT FROM MAORI THIEF. William John Rowe, bootmaker, of Queen Street, Onehunga, was found guilty at the Supreme Court this morn-! ing on a charge of receiving stolen property, knowing it to have been' dishonestly obtained. Accused, who was represented by Mr. Terry, was recommended to mercy on account of his youth. Te Haurangi, an old Maori, said he first met accused four or five months ago. Witness had sold accused a pair of boots for 10/, these being his own. Another pair of boots, sold to accused for 5/, had been stolen from Karangahape Road by witness, who pointed out other footwear which he - had sold to accused. The prices given by accused ranged from 4/ to-10/. Witness had taken two pairs of ladies' shoes to-' gether. A cardigan and three singlets, stolen by witness, were- also bought by accused for 4/. "I got the ladies, shoes at Onehunga from Strong; I got the tan shoes from Karangahape Road, and I think I got the pair of new black' boots from Onehunga. I was under the , influence of liquor at the time. I had to ' get so to pluck up enough courage to steal them." Witness took the first pair of tan shoes, and accused said: "Get mc another pair, size 7." Witness said he could not swear to the number stolen, as there were such a lot. To Mr. Terry: Witness said he was wearing the pair of boots which accused bought from him first. He had told accused that he owned certain native land, and that he drew money from it at certain periods. Patrick Matthew Malloy, stablekeeper, of Onehunga, said he worked next door to' accused's shop. Witness had sold four pairs of boots for accused, which had been obtained ' from the •Maori. Witness had been in the shop when the Maori offered Rowe boots to sell. "Rowe asked the Maori if he got them honestly, and the Maori said, 'Yes,' and I think it Was agreed to at that." Witness did not tell accused that the Maori was known to be dishonest. To Mr. Terry: The Maori had offered witness some singlets and an overcoat. Detective A. B. Meiklejohn said he went to accused's shop on June 30, in company with Detective Moon, and on describing Haurangi as an old man suffering from asthma, accused denied knowledge of the Maori. . Then accused said an old Maori did sell him a worn pair of boots, and he had given him an old pair, partly in exchange. Accused said that, the Maori came in later and sold him a pair of partly-worn boots, and that was all he got from him. Witness went to the front of the shop, and accused pulled a pair of shoes out of the window. Accused said he gave Haurangi 10/ a time for them. Tlie remainder of the detective's evidence in chief dealt with the gradual elicitation of the facts from accused. To Mr. Terry: The accused was very calm when we interviewed him. He seemed to ignore us altogether. Accused, in the witness box, said the first time the Maori came in he was wearing a squeaky pair of boots and complained that they .hurt him. The Maori asked • the accused to buy the boots, because they were too tight. Witness gave him 6/ and another pair. A day or two later he .came back with another pair. "I asked, him where Ihe was getting all the new ones from, and he said he could not get' a pair to fit him. He told mc everything was all right, and I paid him 10/ for them." Next he brought in a pair of tan boots when two ladies were present, and when accused asked, "Where are you. getting, all these from?" the Maori replied, "Mind your own business," and walked out. Twenty minutes later the Maori returned and said that everything was all right. "He said he was losing money on the boots, and I asked him why he wanted to lose money, and he explained that he got so much money every month as he had an interest in native laud. The money was not due and he wanted the ready cash to-go on with. "I thought everything was honestly obtained. I used to ask him if everything was all right every time he came into the shop. I did not know Haurangi was a thief or had any convictions. I thought he was a. retired- Maori with an interest in native land." Under cross-examination, accused admitted that the boots were different sizes. The Maori came in over a period of six weeks and. brought a different pair each time. He said he wanted ready cash, and accused thought he was getting them on credit and selling them. To His Honor: He brought mc all the pairs on the table and gave mc one singlet, but riot the cardigan. In summing up, Mr. Justice Herdman characterised accused's explanation as an extraordinary one, Rowe -is to be. sentenced at 9.30 a.m on Monday. Mr. V. R. Meredith appeared for, the Crown.*