WARNING BY FRIEND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20572, 4 June 1941, Page 6

WARNING BY FRIEND

“DO NOT CASH CHEQUE”

MATAWAI MAORI'S THEFT

“’I told him not to cash the cheque because he would go for a skate, so he gave it to me to cash. I was actually trying to keep the young fellow out of trouble at first," said Robert Johnson, Matawai, giving evidence this morning in tile Police Court when Ponaho Makarini, aged 22, and Eruera Harawira, aged 19, both Maori labourers, were jointly charged with the theft of a cheque for £7 17s 9d, the property of William Luke Ellmers, Koranga, Malawai.

Harawira was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour by Messrs. W. G. Shei ratt and G. D. Muirhead. J.Ps., and Makarini was placed on probation for a year and ordered to pay £2 3s towards the police expenses.

The prosecution was conducted by Detectjve-Sergeant I{. H. Waterson. Johnson said that he met Harawira in Matawai on May 22, and was told by him that he had gone there specially to cash a cheque he had found. After he had had a few drinks, the witness said , that Harawira’s tongue loosened up and he told him that the cheque had been stolen from a mail box by his mate. Johnson look the cheque, and then telephoned Ellmers to say that he had found the cheque. He was told to take it to the police.

Evidence was given by James Hewart Sunderland, George Reginald Robb, William L. Ellmers, Richard Edward Ellmers, John Englebretsen, and Constable L. Nicol, Matawai. Detective-Sergeant Waterson said that Harawira had three previous convictions against him, and he stressed the seriousness of interference with mail-boxes belonging to out-back settlers.