MAORI VAGRANT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 76, 20 May 1946, Page 5

MAORI VAGRANT

LIVING IN DRAINS THEFT OF FOUR HENS The condition of Taituha Rewi, when aresled by the police on a charge of theft and vagrancy was mentioned in the court last Friday as indescribable. The accused himself even though he had been bathed and clothed afresh, still bore the appearance of a ‘next to nature’ enthusiast, of which his touseled hair and unkempt beard bore ample testimony.

The accused was charged with being an idle and disorderly person, and further with the theft of four fowls, the property of O. V. Marx. He pleaded guilty to each count. Sergeant Farrell said that accused had previously been working on farms round the district but for some reason or other had decided to stop work and adopt the nomadic life. He lived in drains, in haystacks and empty sheds, and appeared to sleep during the day and roams round the countryside at night, where his wild appearance and long beard caused considerable alarm. When arrested he was found sleeping under a couple of sacks and his clothing was literally ‘clinging '"to him.’ He was in reality a harmless type of Maori, and if given a short sentence in the local gaol might have time to pull himself together and make a fresh start.

Accused interposed saying he wanted a job at the Paper Mills, and that he had relatives at Matata who would look after him. He was convicted and discharged on the first count and sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment on the second.