BEDROOM RAID

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20052, 26 September 1939, Page 2

BEDROOM RAID

YOUNG MAORI’S CRIME ENTRY THROUGH WINDOW CAPTURE AFTER STRUGGLE COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE A policeman's life may not be a happy one, but the life of a European lady school . teacher can be even more unhappy when she is isolated in a district where few of her own people are at hand. The great majority of Maori people treat white girls with respect and courtesy, but the experience of one young woman, revealed in evidence given before the court in Ruato'ria last Saturday, indicates that a schoolteaching job in an isolated area is not one of alloyed pleasure.

The case was one in which Hoani Raroa, alias Johnny Raroa, appeared before Messrs. I. S. C. Dalgairns and R. li. Wicksteed, J.P.’s, charged with breaking and entering a house by night with intent to commit a crime Mr. A. A. Whitehead appeared for the accused, and Constable Tuck conducted the prosecution. The first witness was an assistant master at a native school on the East Coast, who stated that he lived at a native residence where also two lady assistants lived. He said that at about 3.30 a.m. on September 19, he had been aroused by one of the assistants, who burst into his room crying that someone had entered her bedroom. Witness ran into the girl’s room, and there grappled with a man who struggled out of the open window, and dragged the witness with him. They continued to struggle on the ground outside, and witness succeeded in getting a good grip, and holding the intruder until assistance came.

The witness staled that he had known the young woman whose room had been entered for some time, and had never seen accused in her company at any time. Her character and reputation was excellent. Evidence of Chief Witness Giving evidence, the young woman staled that the district in which she wonted was exclusively Maori, and ihe only other white woman in the neighbourhood was the headmaster’s woe. On the night of September 18, witness retired about 8.30 p.m., and an hour or two later heard someone tapping on the window of the room. She called "Go away," and the tapping stopped. About 3.30 o’clock the following morning, however, she was awakened again by someone who leaned through me window and grasped her legs. The witness described how this intruder came through the window, despite her protests, and pinioned her arm, saying that he was coming into her bed. She struggled, but could not iree herself until she resorted to biting, when the man relaxed his hold and she managed to get clear. She ran to another room and called the previous witness, who captured the intruder. Witness did not know the accused previously, even by sight. Evidence was given also by another woman teacher living in tne house, indicating that on the night of the commotion she had heard tapping on her own bedroom window, but had ignored it. She stated that she had never seen the accused at the house as a visitor, nor had she ever seen Him in company with the girl whose room he had entered, i Accused’s Statement Refuted The owner of the dwelling, a Maori, staled that he had known the accused, but had never known him to be at the house previously, and had not invited him there. The accused had no right to be there undjer any circumstances. Dr. E. C. Grant gave evidence rebutting certain statements alleged to have been made by the accused, concerning the latter’s association with the principal witness, and Constable Tuck detailed a statement offered by the - accused iri explanation ; of his presence at the house. At the conclusion of the evidence, the accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. He stated that he wished to retract t nreservedly anything he had said which might affect the reputation of the chief witness.