“FIRST FOOTING”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18597, 7 January 1935, Page 6

“FIRST FOOTING”

RUATORIA BURGLARIES

NEW YEAR OFFENCES

YOUTHS FOR SENTENCE

(Special to llie Herald.) PORT AWANUI, this day

“First footing,” an old-established form of celebrating the incoming year, was carried beyond the bounds of legality in the early hours of NewYear’s morning at Ruatona, where five youths broke into two stores by smashing the windows, and stole a quantity of goods. Inquiries made by the police led to the arrest of four of the offenders oil Thursday by Detective McLeod, ox Gisborne, and

('oastable \Y. Hooper, of Port Awanui, and of the fifth the following day. Tin; accused were Herman Sinclair Love, a pakeha, Tai Houia, Harry YYharepapa. Mark Moretc, and Bam Waikari. On Saturday afternoon the five accused were brought before Messrs. V. G. R. Rickard and A. \V. Kirk, J.l’s., at a sitting of the police Court at Port Awamii. charged that on or about January I il.cv broke and entered the premises of \V. li. Owen Johnston and stole goods to the value, of £l4. and on the same date broke and entered the ■rnddlery premises of Alfred Hunter and stole goods to the value of £2 H)s. Detective McLeod, who prosecuted, explained that the accused' went to Ruatoria on New Year's Eve, where they attended the pictures. After midnight they went “first footing.” and at the residences they visited were well treated with drinks and soft drinks. Between 1.40 and 2 n.m. thev decided' to break into Mr. Johnston’s store and the saddler’s shop, ami did so bv smashing the windows.

e|i" major part of the stolen property had been found secreted m the scrub in a gully some distance along the main road.

Lvib.'ence on these lines was called bv Detective McLeod, after which nil five youths pleaded guilty, and were committed to the Supreme Court at Gisborne for sentence.