OFFENCES BY MAORIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20901, 17 June 1931, Page 12

OFFENCES BY MAORIS.

BURGLARIES AT PAENGAROA.

SAFE REMOVED IN CAR. OTHER CHARGES OF THEFT. [BY telegraph.—own correspondent.] ROTORUA. Tuesday. A series of charges was preferred in the Police Court this morning against the two Maoris, Wi Pori and George A. Ropeta, who escaped from tho lock-up at Te Puke last week and were recaptured in an unoccupied house on the shores of Lake Rotoiti at an early hour yesterday morning. They were charged with breaking and entering the post oflico and

the Farmers' Trading Company's store at Paengaroa on the night of Juno 6 and again on June 9, and taking the safe, a large quantity of goods and 16s in cash

from (he store. They were further charged that whilo on remand they escaped from (ho To Puke lock-up. Evidence was given regarding tho quan-

tity of goods stolen from the store and regarding tho breaking and entering of tho post office at Paengaroa. An attempt had been made to break open the post office safe, from which screws had been removed, but tho safe resisted the intruders' efforts. Early in the morning of June 9 the safe was removed from tho Farmers' Trading Company's premises and was finally recovered in a stolen car by Constable Jackson, of Te Puke, on a lonely country road near Manawhae Bridge. When the police arrived on the scene

tho two accused were hiding in tho bush near where they left the car. They had been thoro only about a quarter of an hour when the police arrived and they were arrested.

The two accused pleaded guilty to all charges and were committed to tho Supreme Court for sentence. On a charge of stealing a pair of boots Ropeta was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Wi Pori, for stealing an overcoat, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and for stealing a motor-car to 12 months, the sentences to be concurrent.