Young Maori Teaches The Pakeha A Lesson In High Finance

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 7

Young Maori Teaches The Pakeha A Lesson In High Finance

I That was as far as they got. The accused had shown George letters supposed to have come from the bank and paper which had figures written on ' them suggesting tha\ they showed his financial position . . He even went one better by taking his pakeha friend with him to one of the big Auckland firms to help him choose the furniture for the house he was— he said— building at Avondale. There were no half measures about Rangatahi; he selected household goods to the tune of about £600, but there the matter rested- — with the furniture — unknown to trusting George. Picture the simple native and his pakeha friend arriving at the bank on May 3. Carrying his comedy to its ultimate conclusion the Maori asked about his deposit, but was told that nothing was kriown of any . deposit. What George began to think at this juncture it is_Jmp'ossible to. record, but the native said there must be some .mistake and finally it was decided to come back on the following day. The Court Smiles At the hour appointed v ; f or the reunion of the queerly-assorted pair, Rangatahi was not present. He had rung down the curtain and made hia final- bow. ' ' ■ Eventually he was ; traced to Taumarunui, where he was" 1 collected by the police on. July 8. • ■ His days of wealth were over arid he was only m possession of 7d. • During : the reading of Rangatahi's statement- to the police by Detectiva O'Brien* who gave evidence m the case, the audience m Court had to be repeatedly brought to order as the hunjoi of the situation raised a Jaugh. At times even the S.M. was beaming broadly and the accused seemed quite pleased with his. ability to demonstrate the fact that he was not one of a race of mugs. He had no questions to ask any witness and smilingly accepted hia committal to the Supreme Court for sentence. But there was one man who displayed not the ghost of a smile throughout the proceedings and joined m none of the hearty '< laughter which broke out at times m Court. And\he left at the earliest pos« • sible moment. .That man was Arthur George! ' "■': '