MAORI’S THEFT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20547, 6 May 1941, Page 3

MAORI’S THEFT

THREE MONTHS’ GAOL MONEY TAKEN FROM SHOP PREVALENT IN WAIROA (SpoC'ftl to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. "There is too much of this sort of thing in Wairoa. It is one of those things which are hard to detect and when a person is found guilty an example must be made of him,” said Mr. V. E. Winter, J.P., in the Wairoa Police Court yesterday when imposing a sentence of three months’ gaol on Whenua Wilson, aged 36, a Maori. Wilson pleaded not guilty to stealing; £3 3s and a till valued at 10s, the property of John Hewson Finlinson.

Mr. T. P. Sweetman was associated with Mr. Winter on the Bench, and Sergeant J. Gracey prosecuted. In evidence Finlinson said that he had known the defendant for 14 yeai's. On Saturday Wilson came into his shop, purchased a penny box of matches, and then went out. The witness' later went and sat with his wife in the sitting-room of the shop. Soon after •he heard a noise and saw Wilson with the drawer of the till half out. Before the witness could get to him the defendant swung it round and dashed out of the shop, disappearing round the dairy factory corner. Constable J. McAlpine said that he picked the defendant up in Carroll street, and he denied all knowledge of the theft. Constable A. MeLeilan told the court that Wilson in his statement said that he did not take the till or the money and that the complainant must have made a mistake.

“It seems as though we must accept the evidence before us,” said Mr. Winter. “The defendant did not question the evidence and therefore the Bench was quite satisfied that he was the guilty person. He was liable to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of £20.”