Police Court Conducted In Raided Saloon

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 24, 24 February 1948, Page 5

Police Court Conducted In Raided Saloon

Tai Hunia, billiard saloon proprietor of Te Teko, must have found it embarrassing enough when a party of police raided his saloon on Friday night and broke up a “housie” school. But when they installed Mr I. B. Hubbard, J.F., who had come with them from Whakatane, behind one of the billiard tables and began to conduct Court proceedings on the spot, ;the proprietor and his patrons must have felt quite overwhelm- < ed. .Hunia was charged with using the : saloon as a common gaming house, . and thirteen men the police alleged had been mixed up in the ‘housie . school, were charged with being found without lawful excuse in a common gaming house. All were remanded to the Magistrate’s Court at Whakatane on March 2, Hunia being released on £IOO -bail and the others on £s' bail each, all on their own recognisance.

The men caught in the saloon were Pia Moses, Joseph Reid, Timi Chase, Dick Ngahu, Takawai Edwards, Robert Glen, Eru Rewiti, Robert Ngahu,-Leonard Elliott, William Koperu, ■ Pikitu Wanihau, Mea Hopea and Thomas Pirihera, all of Te Teko.

Sergeant A. B. Collinge and Constable R. F- Julian of Whakatane carried out the raid in conjunction with Detective Sergeant Waterson and Detective Sneddon, from Gisborne. They entered the saloon by the back door, leaving Mr Hubbard ready to hear the charges if there should be cause to make any.

Having lined up the patrons' and taken their names, the police proceeded to make out charge, sheets, then turned the place into a temporary Court room, and brought Mr Hubbard in.