TROUBLE AT OAKURA.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1926, Page 11

TROUBLE AT OAKURA.

NATIVES VISIT HOTEL. THE SEQUEL IN COURT. ILLEGALLY ON PREMISES When a party of Maoris went in search of missing wives and sisters, who were supposed to be at the Oakura Hotel on the night of April 27, they became engaged in an argument with the licensee, who told them they wtoa wrong in their surmise that the women were in the hotel. There was a scuffle and the sequel was heard in the Police Court yesterday before Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., when Frederick Charles Emeny, the licensee of the hotel, was charged on four counts with selling liquor after hours, with supplying liquor to a female native and to a person under 21, and with opening his premises after closing hours. Edward Morrow. Stanley Hill, Richard Hill and Ronald Shotter were called upon to answer charges of being illegally on licensed premises. All five defendants pleaded not guilty and were represented by Mr. A. A. Bennett.

After hearing lengthy evidence, the magistrate said that the charges against Eraeny would be dismissed, not because innocence had been proved, but because of lack of technical evidence. The four men. however, had given no satisfactory explanation why they had been careering round the country at night with Maori women, and he was satisfied the men had taken the women to the hotel to give them a drink. Whether they had had drink there was the essence of the cases against Emeny. Shotter, Morrow and the two Hills would each be fined £2, with costs £1 12s and witnesses’ expenses £1 4s 6d. It was the day of the races at New Plymouth and the story, as told by Lucy Ransfield, a young married Maori woman, was that she went to the Okato Motel at the invitation of a native employee. With her were four girls, Weki Manu, Marie Wetini, Marion Ngahare, Edna Dill, and a boy, Fred Tapiki. They had drinks and later left for the Oakura Hotel with Shotter, Morrow, and the two Hills. They arrived there between 10 and 11 o’clock, and were admitted to the sitting room near the bar. They had no drinks. Senior-Sergeant MeCrorie: Didn't you tell the police that you had drinks there ? Witness: Yes, but I was so flurried that I told the police anything. She said that she heard a motor-car draw up outside, and recognised Albert Hau’s voice. He was asking the licensee if there were any Maoris there. Eraeny said “No,” and then she heard an argument. Mrs. Mills took the girls into another room, and later Emeny took" them out the back door, so that the boys "would not see them. They then went home in Dick Hill’s ear. They were at the hotel about two hours. Dick Waho, who was with the second party, was her husband. There had been lights in the bar, but Emeny put them out when he heard the ear.

In reply to counsel witness said there had been drinking at Okato that day. Albert Hau had had a good deal, and was very excited, and appeared to b,e determined to get into the Oakura Hotel. When they left the Okato Hotel the idea had been to take Shotter home, but somebody had suggested they should go on to Oakura. The second car arrived soon after witness and her party. It was not true that on the arrival of the second ear the women were outside the hotel; they were inside. Similar evidence was given by Marion Ngawhare, except that she said the girls did have drinks at Oakura. They each -had two drinks and were going to have a third when Hau and his companions arrived.

LOOKING FOR A WIFE. Jimmy Manu said that with him in the second car w’ere Wati Manu, Dick Waho, Albert Hau and Miss Clarke, who was going on to New Plymouth. The natives got out at Oakura and Hau asked Emeny if Dick Waho’s wife was there. Emeny said “No,” but it was pointed out that the other car was there. Hau attempted to enter the hotel, but Emeny pushed him back. Eventually Hau got in and Emeny secured a bottle from the bar and hit Hau. Hau was warned and escaped, but was hit on the forehead by somebody later on when he attempted to enter a room. Witness saw Dick Hill, Morrow and Shotter come out of the bar. He saw the girls come from the hotel afterwards and get into Hill’s car. Tiki Waho said he went to Oakura to look for his wife and sister. There was a light in the bar after they had left their car, but it was put out. Emeny came to the door and denied that there were any Maoris at the hotel, and also gave the visitors permission to search the premises. Just as Hau was about to enter, however, Emeny pushed him back. Hau persisted and opened the door of the bar, in which witness saw a party, including his wife and sister. Evidence was also given by Rhoda Clark, Fred Tapihi, Wati Manu and Albert Hau. An application for the dismissal of the charges against Emeny was made by Mr. Bennett, on the grounds that only one of the witnesses, Ngawhare, had stated that women had had drink at Oakura. Mr. Bennett commented that Maori evidence was unreliable and was often vindictive.

Mr. Tate asked what Sergeant MeCrorie had to say. Conceding that liquor was sold, was there any evidence to connect Emeny with the sale to the native women or to the youth? Sergeant MeCrorie: There is the evidence of one woman. Mr. Tate said it seemed that there was no evidence against Emeny that he supplied liquor to the natives. The charges against the licensee would be dismissed without prejudice, but he was not prepared to dismiss the cases against the other white men. These eases were then proceeded with. THE LICENSEE’S VERSION. Frederick Charles Emeny said that Mrs. Mills, his wife and he were in the bar ou the night of April 27 when there was a knock at the door. Hau was there and asked witness if he had any women there. “No,” said witness, “not any of your women, anyway.” While he was arguing with Hau the other Maoris came from the car. Witness admitted to Sergeant McCrorie that he went to get a bottle to use as a weapon after he had tried unsuccessfully to push the natives outside the door. George Ronald Thomas Shotter, farmer, Okato, stated that he was one of a party in Hill’s car. It was suggested they should go to Oakura; some of them wanted drinks and others did

not. He got out of the car to speak to Emeny, but did not enter the hotel. Soon afterwards the second car arrived. Someone said “There’s Hau,” and the girls, who .were with witness’ party, were scared' and ran to the back of the building. Edward Morrow, drover, Stanley Hill, farmer, and Matthew Richard Hill all supported the story told by Shotter. Richard Hill said he had taken a party home to Puniho from the races. He had tea with Shotter at Okato, and on going baek to his car found the Maori women in it. They said they were going to the township for a ride. His Worship inflicted penalties as stated.