A NEW YEAR PRANK
THEFTS BY YOUNG MAORIS
INCIDENTS AT TANEATUA With the idea of making merry the New .Year ? a group of young Maoris from the Tane- i atua district formed themselves i into - a band of strolling music- a ians, and following out the auld 1 Scottish custom of 'first-footing' proceeded to go from farmhouse < to singing songs to < the accompaniment of various i stringed instruments. Their actions however were not all con- : fine«i to those of the accepted ] minstrelsy, and the seq- < uel was as grim as it was unexpected when the merry makers were arraigned' before the Whakatane court before Messrs J. G* Mulholland and! J. King yesterday charged with a number of ■cases of theft. The Maori's concerned whose ages ranged from 18 years to 22, were Tahae Hakeke, Don Moko, Uti Maui, Pat Rawiri and Tata Rupe Wiremu } all of whom pleaded gui|ty to the joint thefts of two bridles, a lumber jacket, gumboots, an oilskin overcoat and a pair of shorts and a ] .shirt. : Sergeant Farrell who prosecuted said that the accused had banned themselves into a group of singers < with the intention of visiting the -district farm houses on New Year s i Eye. It was their intention to mark ; the occasion with a little, festivity and song. At most of the places i they called on they, were given cake ] and cordial and lett with mutual j compliments'. There were, however ] some persons who did not appreciate their vocal efforts and either ordered them away or did not produce the "eats'.' One or two o^these experien-r-ces nettled the would-bc. harbingers . of, cordiality, who thereupon decid.ed to reward themselves, whether their audience liked it or not, and upon their own. assessment. All who failed to appreciate their efforts were thereupon relieved of some handy article of apparel or utility as a lesson for their tardiness. Thus now assured of their reward, given -willingly or otherwise the musicians collected the goods above-named and returned home in the wee sma' hours apparently fully satisfied with . a useful night's work.
The old saying that 'chickens come home to roost' proceeded to operate with q, vengeance shortly afterwards. In this case the' 'chick' was'a 6' 6" .one in the shape, of Constable Thomassen who lost no tune in illustrating the fact that the singers had not joined the Musician's Un.on, and among a lot of other things they could not do 'that there 'ere.' Upthe court and live sad- looking Maori youths who expressed their sorrow. Taking in view the fact that the young men had already spent the week-end in gaol, and further that the action of the band was more in the nature of a stupid New Year prank the bench decided to fine each one the sum of £2.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BPB19450109.2.18
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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 38, 9 January 1945, Page 5
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466A NEW YEAR PRANK Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 38, 9 January 1945, Page 5
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