MAORI’S LITTLE PRANK

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12527, 17 August 1926, Page 7

MAORI’S LITTLE PRANK

TAXI-DRIVER HOAXED POSED AS DETECTIVE SEARCH FOR STOLEN CAR (By Telegraph.—Special to “Times.”) i AUCKLAND, August 16. An audacious hoax was perpetrated by a ilaqri upon an Auckland taxidriver in the city. On Saturday the taxi-man was approached by the Maori, who stated that he was a plain-clothes member of the wharf police detailed to search for a stolen motor-car. Knowing that a motor-car had been stolen on Friday, the taxi-driver, unfortunately for himself, believed the native, and at the latter’s request drove him a distance of 80 miles in less than seven hours. The taxi with the “detective” aboard travelled all over the city and suburbs, and even to the summit of Mount Eden on two occasions. While at Shelley Beach in search of the “quarry,” the Maori found a man fast asleep in a car. The sleeping car-driver was awakened by tho Maori, who immediately placed him “under arrest,” and accused him of knowing something about the missing motor-car. The “prisoner” was placed in the taxi, and the driver was then ordered to' resume the search. After he had been driven about for more than, two hours the innocent captive asserted himself, and after denouncing the Maori as an impostor, gained his freedom.. INEVITABLE RESULT The taxi-driver evidently still believed that the Maori was a detective, for lie afterwards drove him to Mangere, and later to Orakei, where the pseudo-detective placed a Maori woman and three children in the car and brought them to the city. He then told the taxi-driver to meet him at the Town Hall later to resume the search for the thief who took the motor-car. At the appointed hour the taxi-driver was waiting at the Town Hall. He waited for nearly an hour, but the Maori did not put in an appearance. He had evidently enjoyed himself. This afternoon Constable Skinner, of the wharf police, arrested Hui Toroa on a charge of having obtained credit by fraud. He will appear at the Police Court to-morrow morning.