YOUNG MAN'S CHEEK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17175, 27 October 1926, Page 14

YOUNG MAN'S CHEEK

IMPERSONATES MAYOR A WAIROA INCIDENT (Special to the Herald.» WAIROA, this day. At the Police Court a Maori lad named Rangi Hoeta, aged 16J years, appeared to answer a charge of being an idle and disorderly person, though he might have been charged with having obtained board and lodging by false pretences. He was convicted and discharged, Mr. Heremia Marsh having undertaken to look after him and ■ find him employment.

The. (ale he told the girl at Mrs. Campbell's boarding house at North Clyde was that he had secured a billet with the Mayor, Mr. J. Corkill. lie engaged u. room and was duly shown it. Next morning Mrs. Campbell saw the boy "at breakfast, and the girl fold what happened the night before. Mrs. Campbell asked him about payment, and the lad said he was working for the Mayor, serving behind the counter and in the shop. She demanded a week's board and lodging payment in advance, whereon the boy replied that he would get "the boss" to give her a cheque next day. The following day the story was that "the boss" was too busy to write a cheque. The next thing was that Mrs. Campbell got a. ring on the telephone: "The Mavor speaking; Rangi is a good bov; if will be all right." But still nr> cheque came, but the boy in answer to his landlady said it would come tomorrow. The next day another ring came to her purporting to be "the Mayor speaking," with the addition that he had sent Rangi to Mahia, and he would post Mrs. Campbell the cheque. Then she recognised the voice as that of Rangi, and when she told him so he slammed the receiver down, and he did not show up again.

When interviewed by the police the boy told the sergeant he belonged to Waikaremoana. bat on the sercreant telling him he knew every Maori in Wnikaremoana he shifted his domicile to Waniranui, and enquiries there failed to establish the fact. At last the boy said, he had come from Waikari.