DRUNKEN ORGY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 December 1924, Page 4

DRUNKEN ORGY

IN A MAORI PA. HEAVY FINES IMPOSED. ON NATIVES AND PAKEHAS. [What was described as a drunken orgy at the Ketemarae Pa on the night -of November 1 resulted in the appearance at the Hawera Magistrate’s Court to-day of.three offenders.] ® ; The first to appear were two natives, Tupaia Hpri and Martin Wharemate. The first named#was charged with talcing intoxicating liquor into a Maori ’ pa, and on another charge with procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order. Wharemate was also charged with taking, intoxicating liquor into a Maori pa. Pleas of guilty were entered, in re-.. spect of all charges. Sergt. Henry said that a man,named Cockerton had been leaving the eiiiploy of .the Normanby Dairy Company, and a send-off had been arranged Jot the evening of October 31.,/ A s it happened, the appointed night was wet- and the function did not. eventuate, but Cockerton met the two natives in question and handed them seven gallons out of nine gallons of beer which had been procured. The Maoris took the beer to the pa, and oii Saturday, in : consequence of certain information fecevied, Cockerton and five other young follows went to the pa. Constable Pidgeon had got wind of what, was happening, and he also went to the pa and watched what happened. From 11.30 p.m. until 4 a.m. the orgy continued, Maori girls, Maori men and the five pakehas being present. The constable, lioweyer, did ' not. see any of the Maori girls take liquor, but the men consumed the beer freely, and many were under the influence of liquor when the.spree broke up.. The case was a serious one and in such instances it was very seldom that the police were able to trace the person who supplied the liquor. To show the prevalence of such liquor consumption Sergt. Henry mentioned that on the 31st of last month Tiipaia" Hori hadbeen under the influence of liquor, lie having obtained two flasks of whisky from a pakeha. He also mentioned that Hori was a prohibited person, was 21 years of age, and had a list of liquor offences. . ■ On the first charge the Magistrate fined Hori £lO, with 7s court costs and 5s translation fee, in default two months’ imprisonment; and on the ' charge of. procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order defendant was convicted and discharged on condition that he paid 5s translation fe.e . Wharemate, who had not been previously convicted, was fined £3 with 7s Court costs and os translation fee. The Magistrate issued a. warning to the Native, and pointed out that defendant was taking the worst habits of the white man into, his pa. Referring to Hori, Mr. Barton said that this was the last time he would fine him; the next time he would either be sent to prison or Pakatoa. Island. Robert Ellis Cockerton was charged on two counts with supplying liquor to each of the two Natives in question. . Sergeant Henry said that Constable Pidgeon had interviewed Cockerton, who had made a. statement of what had occurred. Defendant had given the Constable every assistance and had made a clean breast of the whole affair. Defendant had not been previously convicted and he came of respectable people. Sergeant- Henry, however, emphasised the seriousness of. the offence, and mentioned that defendant had not taken the warning issued when a Hawera resident had been convicted -of a similar offence about two months ago. Mr. H, L. Spratt, for the defendant, said, that Cockerton was a respectable young fellow and was heartily ashamed of what he had done. He was penitent and had gone to the extent of taking a prohibition order out against himself, although this was his first offence. Mr. Spratt said he did ‘ fnot know what caused defendant to do what he did. He had not been aware of the seriousness of the offence, and with the exuberance of youth he had been carried away and had lost his judgment. The Magistrate said he would take into consideration* Gockerton’s reputa- ? tion and would extend leniency between. defendant and the law, but ho had to make the case a warning to others. The maximum fine was £SO, and usually in such cases he inflicted . fines of from £2O to £3O. , In the nresent case he would inflict a fine, of £5 on each of the two charges, with Court costs totalling £1 Bs.