YOUNG MAN STEALS RIFLE AND ALARMS TE TEKO MAORIS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 40, 12 January 1949, Page 5

YOUNG MAN STEALS RIFLE AND ALARMS TE TEKO MAORIS

Charged with being in unlawful, possession of a .303 rifle for the purpose of discharging it so as to cause alarm, a young man, Wehi Taylor also known as John Taylor, Te Teko, appeared in the Whakatane Police Court on Monday before Messrs H. G. Warren and R. T. Morpeth, J’s.P. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.

This was not the first offence of the accused Constable R. F. Julian pointed out. He said that on January 7 the police had received a complaint from James Kome, Te Teko, that accused had taken a rifle from his whare and had .taken to the hills where one shot was fired. It was thought that Taylor had committed suicide. The police went from Whakatane to the Te Teko Hills and searched for him unsuccessfully until the early hours, of the morning. Later that day however, he was found by his brother-in-law’in the hills and was subsequently arrested.

Constable Julian said that the Maoris at Te Teko told him that six shots l had been fired, some at the ground in front of the meeting house. They had caused considerable alarm amongst the Maori population, most of whom were locked in the meeting house, too scared to come outside when the police arrived.

When asked if he had anything to say the accused said that at the time of the offence he was drunk.