POSED AS A GIRL

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 218, 10 June 1933, Page 13

POSED AS A GIRL

Story of Masquerade CHARGE AGAINST MAORI By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, June 9. , The amazing case of a young Maori man who has posed as a girl for so long that now, even when dressed in masculine attire, he has a distinctly feminine appearance, was before the Pukekohe Court to-day. His correct name is Te Ahurangi Matene, but he is widely known as Rosie, his Maori name being Rosanna La bar. H is 19 years old, and on April -8 -iffi peared before the court for wearing female clothing. He undertook to refrain from doing this in future, and was discharged on the payment of 4/costs. The charge against him to-day was that, on various dates in February, he obtained credit to the extent of £6 14/9 by falsely representing himself to be a woman. . Evidence was given by Sybil Robertson that during February the accused called at her drapery shop in Pukekohe, conducted by the witness and her sister, and selected various articles of female attire. Including an evening dress. He also chose scents and face powder. The witness served him. but had no idea that he was a man. The accused said that certain rents were due to him from Native lands, and on receipt of this money he would pay the account. The witness said that had she known he was not a girl she would not have let him have the goods. To Mr. Foster, who appeared for the accused, the witness said that she believed the rent money was coming to the accused and that she would be paid. Mr. Foster said that the accused belongs to a good Maori family in Hawke’s Bay. At nine years of age he joined a circus, and from that time until six or eight months ago he appeared as an acrobat and trapeze artist, but always as a girl. He was thus brought up as a girl; he was encouraged to dress as a girl; he was called by a girl’s name, and he mingled freely with girls. All his mannerisms were now feminine. There was definite evidence, continued counsel, that the accused was in receipt of a very considerable income from rent. At present an amount exceeding £l7O was due to him. He had the fullest intention of paying the Misses Robertson, and bad purchased the goods in the ordinary course of what was at that time his normal life.

Thomas Bell, who has employed the accused with other Maoris on his farm at Pukekohe Hill during the past few months, said that the accused was an excellent worker. The witness was prepared to continue employing him, and would guarantee payment Of the account.

Mr. Faster submitted that as the accused had no intention of not paying the account the charge of obtaining credit by fraud could not stand.

Messrs. Lawrie and Armstrong, J.P.’s, who presided, agreed and the case was dismissed.