A BACKBLOCK WANDERER

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4852, 25 April 1918, Page 6

A BACKBLOCK WANDERER

NOMAD MAORI’S DEPREDATIONS. ■SENTENCE OF TWELVE MONTHS IMPOSED. Settlers in the Waimata and Coast districts have been disturbed during the last feAy months on account of the depredations of a Maori who has been wandering about the backcountry living upon what he could find upon the different stations he visited. A month or tivo ago DetectNe McLeod received information, that he was camped at Arakihi, and set out accompanied by a constable to arrest him, but found that the quarry had fioAvn. About a week ago he was arrested at Te Araroa by Constable iVltirray, He ed at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning before Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., when he was charged on four informations of theft.

j The accused, Wi Paki Koran, was • charged that on or about' February. ; 25, 1917, at Tc Reinga, he- did steal ; a double-barrelled gun valued at £3 j irom some person or persons un- ! knoAvn. He was also charged that | on February 12, 1918, he did steal j a double-barrelled gun,, one dozen j cartridges and an oilskin coat, valj ned at £6 18s the property of John j Brosnahan; that on March 5, 1918, ! a t Arakihi, lie stole one tarpaulin j an enamelled billy, a knife and fork, i and a rug, valued at £3 10s, the I property of George Henton; than on February 25, 1918, at Waimata, did steal a pair of opera glasses, valued at £3, the property of Thos. Todd. I lie accused was also charged with being deemed to be an idle and disorderly person, having insufficient lawful means of support. The accused could not speak Eng- . lisli and Mr Hooper acted as interpreter. The accused pleaded guilty and elected to be dealt with summarily. Detective JMcLeod stated that, accompanied by Mr Hooper, as interpreter, he interviewed the accused, who made a statement tp him. In that statement the accused said lie was a native of Te Araroa. About the middle of January last he went to a Avliare at Mangaone, which lie now knew as Brosnahan’s. He broke into the whare. stole a gun, twelve cartridges and an oilcoat. He had since used the cartridges and had worn out the oilcoat. He find also worn out the barrels of the gun and thrown them away, keeping the stock. Later on he made a camp in t'he bush at the back of Mr Black’s Arakihi station. He went to Mr Todd's place, found no one Avas at home, entered the office, stole some cigarettes and a pair of opera glasses, which were hanging in a leather case on the wall. He returned to liis camp. While in the camp he stole a tarpaulin (to make a better camp), a billy, a knife and fork and a mug. He left the camp after having been there about six Aveeks beoause he bad seen station hands leaving his camp. He Avent across country to Te Araroa, and was camped in the bush there for eight days when he was arrested by Constable Murray. He had stolen the gun in his possession- from a house at Te Reinga, on the Wairoa road, in February of last year. He had lived in the back country for eight months and had lived on what he could get from the stations. Detective McLeod said the accused had a long list of previous convictions. He had been knocking about the back country going to stations at unreasonable times asking for food or stealing it, terrifying the ladies on these stations. He had done no work for the last twelve months. The way he had been living was a dangerous one to people, living in the hack country. Accused asked for probation, when he would enlist go to' the front. His Worship: That’s all nonsense. I can’t give probation upon a record like I have before me. Accused admitted having been convicted at various times of theft (four convictions), forgery and horse stealing. His Worship sentenced the accused on the charges of theft to _l2 months’ imprisonment at _ Napier, and afterwards to l he detained for reformative purposes for two years. Upon the charge of vagrancy he Avas sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at Napier, sentence to be concurrent with {the former one.