RANGITIKEI

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 137, 9 May 1930, Page 4

RANGITIKEI

THEFT OF CHEQUES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) MARTON, May 7. Joe Moon, a singlo Maori, aged 22, appeared before Messrs' W. Ingle and A. J. B. Sicely, J.P.’e, in tho Court hero to-day on a charge of stealing a letter containing six cheques of the value of £lOl 11s 9d, the property of Samson Isaao Breton, a hawker, at Ratana on April 21. Accused, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded guilty and was oommilted to the Supreme Court at Palmerston North for dons table H. J. Thompson prosecutod and the first witness was H. E. Archer, assistant to Mr Broton, who deposed that on April 21 ho gave accused sovon letters to give to the guard of a train at Ratana Station. Ono of tho lotters was addressed to the manager of a bank at Rotorua and contained six cheques, the amounts being £1 Is 2d, £1 10s 7d, £l6 17s 6d, £l6 2s 6d, £6 and £6O. Later, on obtaining no receipt for the amount, witness had got in touch with the manager of tho bank at Marton and had then ascertained that at least one of the cheque* had boon cashed. Witness had then informed tho police. Accused had no authority to open the letter or to uso tho cheques. A. O. Soott, manager for a firm of drapers in Marton,' stated in evidenoo that on Saturday, April 26, a young Maori, since recognised as accused, but whom witness did not then know, called at the shop of witness and endeavoured to cash a cheque modo by a well-known local farmer, drawn on the bank at Marton ■ and payable to a Maori named Potaka Taiuru. Witness could not negotiate the cheque and accused had asked him to hold tho cheque over the week-end as he (accused) could not get it cashed owing to tho bank being closed. Witness had lent accused £1 on the cheque, believing it to bo a genuine case as the cheque was made payable to a Maori and witness thought accused was that person, the monoy being probably for wages duo. On tho Monday witness had presented the cheque at the bank and it had been cashed. Later the accused went to witness’s shop and, after making purchases totalling £5 or £6, had received the balance, about £53, in. banknotes. Witness had later identified accused at tho Marton police station. Tho chequo cashed by witness was tho one produced in Court. Constable Thompson deposed that he arrested accused in hlarton on April 29

and the lattor had freely made a statement which was produced in Court. In that statement accused had admitted taking the letter addressed to the bank at Rotorua, had gono to Palmerston North where ho opened . tho letter and extracted the cheques. Accused had cashed the cheque for £6 at a Palmerston North boot shop and had destroyed that for £l6 17s 6d while at an hotel there. He admitted cashing tho cheques for £1 Is 2d and £1 10s 'id at an hotel in Marton and at a grocer’s shop. He also admitted tho incidents at the draper’s shop when tho £6O cheque was concerned. The cheque Mr £l6 2s 6d accused had ’destroyed at the Marton police station after his arrest. When taken into custody accused had in his possession £l3 9s sd, tho money he had 6pcnt having gone in drink, board and ‘ lodging, clothing and car hires. After tho customary warning had been given, accused pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence as stated. TRAIN STRIKES HORSE. Whilo passing through Hunterville at about 11.30 o’clock on Monday night, the northbound Limited express collided with a horse on tho line near the saloyards. Tho animal was badly mangled and soon succumbed and tho train, though not damaged, was delayed for half an hour. HEIFER FAIR. Lack of buyers, lack of money or lack of confidence, and probably all three, were responsible for a very poor sale of dairy heifers hero to-day when over 200 head cf this class of cattle wero offered to a large attendance of farmers. The bulk of the entries wore passed in after reaching prices ranging from £7 to £8 10s, the margin between buyers’ values and those -ai vendors being very marked. Some good quality lines changed hands at remarkably cheap figures, but so few wero sold that it cannot bo said values are quotable. Springing heifers and heifers r.w.b. oomprised the bulk of the offering and all wero ordinary farmers’ lines. GENERAL. A 6hop held in aid of the Hunterville Croquet Club on Monday yielded a profit of over £6. At a meeting of the Hunterville Rabbit Board, Mr R. G. Dalziell presiding, it

was stated that a large' number of signa - tures had been obtained throughout _the district to tho requisition that the hoard area bo extended. Messrs R. G. Dalziell and W. A. Illston wore appointed delegates to tho annual meeting of tho North Island Rat it Boards’ Association, to be neiu at teilding on June 11. Mrs F. R. H. Brice presided at a meet ing of the Marton branch of the Division of tho Farmers Union yesterday at which remits to bo placed before the annual conference at Wellington month were discussed. Representatives tho branch at the conference will bo Mrs D. Simpson (Dominion treasurer), . W F. Stevens (president of the provincial executive) and Mesdames A. Stuart an F. R. H. Brice. , , , ' Hinemoa (Halcombe) lady hockey py ors proved superior to Marton Athletio ladies by two goals to one. The game wa fairly fast and showed that both sides are knitting together good work. For tne winners goals were scored by Misses • Managh and Mona Hughes, and for tne losers by Miss M. Paget. Mr J. Le Comte refereed. RUGBY FOOTBALL. On account of tho trial representative match at Wanganui on Saturday drawing players from its district, tho ,xaihape Union has postponed tho sensor matches set down for that day. Tho Rangitikei Union has applied 101 250 scats at the Wanganui v. British team match and Taihape has asked for 100. In a junior shield match hero to-day, Ohingaiti defeated Athletio (Marton) by 11 points to 3. The game was very ragged and by no means spectacular. In the first I spell S. Whitford scored a try for the homesters, and shortly afterwards Corbett got across for Ohingaiti. Half time found tho scores unchanged. In the second spell Athletic seemed to tiro and Ohingaiti scored two good tries, both by M. Downs, one of which Potaka converted. Mr B. Illston refereed. Matches for Saturday next are: Senior: Athletic v. Old Boys at Marton (Mr 1. Richardson) ; Rata v. Putorino at Rata (Rev. Leonard); Hunterville v. Bulla at Bulls (Rev. Ashcroft). Thirds: Halcombo V. Old Boys at, Marton; Athletic v. Huntervillo at Hunterville.

personal, Mrs Stanley ferryman, of Tai iapu, Canterbury, , who has been vmme Mr / nd *ioS; Clirl^t church n vjsitor' to Managaweka. Mhs P DoS, of Wanganui, * the of Mm McCoard, ICawhatau; M' and Mrs A Lewis are Marton visitors to Auckland. Mr Arthur Way, of Marton, secretary of the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union is visiting Wellington on business connected with that body.