AN IMPUDENT HOAX.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 193, 16 August 1926, Page 5

AN IMPUDENT HOAX.

PERPETRATED BY MAORI. A TAXI-DRIVER TAKEN IN. An audacious hoax was perpetrated by a Maori upon an Auckland taxi-driver in the city on Saturday. The taxi man was approached by the Maori, who stated that he was a plain clothes member of the wharf police, detailed to search for a stolen motor car. Knowing that a motor car had been stolen on Friday, the taxi-driver, unfortunately for himself, believed the native, and at the latter's request drove him a distance of 80 miles in less than seven hours. The taxi, with the "detective" aboard, travelled all over the city and suburbs, and even to the summit of Mount Eden on two occasions. While at Shelly Beach in search of the "quarry/ , the Maori found a man fast asleep in a car. The sleeping car driver was awakened by the Maori, who immediately placed him "under arrest," accusing him of knowing something about the missing motor car. The "prisoner" was placed in the taxi and the driver was then ordered to resume the search. After he had been driven about for more than two hours, the innocent captive asserted himself, and, after denouncing the Maori as an impostor, gained his freedom. The taxi driver evidently still believed that the Maori was a detective, for he afterwards drove him to Mangere and later to Orakei. where the pseudo detective j placed a Maori woman and three childI ren in the car and brought them to the city. He then told the taxi driver to meet him at the Town Hall later to resume the search for the thief who took the motor car. At the appointed hour the taxi driver was waiting at the Town Hall. He waited for nearly an hour, but the Maori did not put in an appearance. He had evidently enjoyed himself. This afternoon Constable Skinner, of the wharf police, arrested Huia Toroa, on a charge of having obtained credit by fraud. He will appear at the Police Court to-morrow morning.