SENSATION AT OWAKA

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 9

SENSATION AT OWAKA

ALLEGED BUSIIKANGING EXPLOIT.

ATTEMPT NIPPED IN THE BUD

The reading of bushranging literature, followed by certain unsettling effects, was responsible for the appearance in the court at Balclutha'oa the 19th, before Mr G. W< Wood, J.P., of a well-grown lad. named] M'Ooombe, 17. years of age. Ho was charged with making a threatening display with firearms and with using threatening words with intent to alarm persons in a dwelling-house.

It is alleged that on Sunday afternoon, the lad, who was employed by the Public-' Works Department v c-n bridge surveying near Owaka, -obtained possession of a horse and rode to Tawanui, about 10 miles distant. He tied the horse up in the bush and went to a camp where he had previously been staying. Here ho procured a rifle and ammunition, a loaf of broad, some tea and sugar, and a billy. Thus equipped, ho made for the bush "and spent two nights sleeping out without blankets. On Tuesday afternoon ho went to the house of a settler named Mr Wilson, whose property is soma distance from any other residence, and here! ho had dinner. After dinner ho went outside rather hurriedly, and immediately returned with his rifle, which he is alleged' to have presented at the heads of his guests with the words "Hands up." Mr Wilson closed with the lad and obtained possession of the weapon, removing 11 rounds of ammunition from the magazine. He then allowed the lad to have tho rifle back, but retained tho bullets. No time was lost in communicating with the police, and the lad was arrested by Constable Hayward. Tho boy's father, who is a respectable working man, reported to the police on Tuesday that his son was missing, and. he added that he would not be surprised if something had happened because tho boy had been reading a numibcr of bushranging stories. The bench remanded the accused to appear at Balclutha before a magistrate on the 26th inst.