IN TROUBLE AGAIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 2, 24 April 1939, Page 2

IN TROUBLE AGAIN

ECHO OF WHAKATANE CASE

SUPPLYING DRINK TO

NATIVES

Three Whakatane residents faced a number of ehirgcs before Mr K. L. Walton, S.M.. in the Opotiki Police Court on Tuesday, relating to the alleged supply of liquor to natives in Maori Council districts and also to Maori women. The Recused were Daniel Morgan, Andrew Brown and George Symes. Sergeant J. I-bistcr said Symes and Morgan had previously been fined at Whakatane for supplying liquor to native women from Opotiki. Syme s was a taxi driver and came to Opotiki with the other defendants, arriving at ?bout midnign\ with the object of influencing the women in the giving of their evi. dence in the Whakatnne cases. The men brought about t"-o dozen hotfns of beer f r om an Onetiki hotel. They then took one r>f the witnesses to another ho'ise n mcriv time ensued until the owner nad to put them all out. S.veral witnesses g*ve evidence of a party at which Maori women and others had lmnor. All were more or less drunk. Efforts to get the Maori women to alter statements given to th n Whakatane police apprently railed. Mr Barry, who appeared for Brown,, said his clt nt denied having anything to do with the liquor, Morgan had trk-n Brwn to Opotiki as he thought he would have some influence on the "Maori women. Counse] sa : d IT own was in absolute fear of Morgm. The latter had ..one to Brown's place and thrown, his clothes into the street, broken n bed and furniture and smashed up the room. He had then brutally assaulted Brown, who had made a complaint to the pdire. However, under threats from he had withdrawn the informati <n. The magistrate discharged Brown, on the charge of supplying liquor to the women, but on a charge of supplying liquor to a Maoii, Rua, hwas convicted and fined £5, with costs,. The charges against Symes were dismissed. In regard to Morgan, the magistrate said focused deseiwd to go to but lie did not have the power to send him there. He would be fifed £5, with costs, for supplying liquor to Rua, and £30, with costs, for supplying liquor to the women. CI lAPiITY S TAMPS The value of chn'ity stamps is well recognised in New Zealand. A letter received in Auckland from Paris the other day bore three stamps, one of which entailed a contribution to assist French refugees from Spain, another ass'sted maternity welfare and the third contributed to the provision of radios for the blind. Each stamp bore a picture illustrating the charity with which it was associated.