THREE MONTHS’ GAOL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20056, 30 September 1939, Page 8

THREE MONTHS’ GAOL

CHASE BY HOUSEHOLDER UNLAWFULLY ON PREMISES TWO CHARGES PREFERRED (Special to thu Herald.) RUATORIA, this day. A sentence of three months’ imprisonment was imposed on a Maori, Hoe Apaoa McGregor, aged 22, when he appeared before Messrs. I. S. C Dalgairns and W. 11.0. Johnson, J.P’s, in the Police Court on Thursday. McGregor was charged on two counts of being found on enclosed premises without a lawful excuse. The prosecutor, Constable T. Birch, said that he had received a cornplaint that a man had been detained by John Hogan, a blacksmith, of Ruatoria, after having been found on Hogan’s premises. The accused was arrested and fitter a further complaint that the accused also had been on the premises of Roland Edwin Young was received. At about 7.15 p.m. on Wednesday, Young heard a noise in his storeroom and went to investigate, said Constable Birch. A man came from the store-room and ran away. Twenty minutes later Hogan heard a scream in a bed-room in his house and one of his daughters came into the room and told him that there was a man on the verandah. Hogan went out and saw the accused locking in the window of the gild’s bedroom. One girl had been in bed and the second girl nacl been preparing for bed. Chased by Householder

When McGregor saw that Hogan’s daughter had called her father he attempted to run away, Hogan catching him near the gateway to his premises. While he was holding the accused there, two other Maoris came up the footpath and told Hogan to release McGrogo>\ Hogan could see that there would be trouble if m did not release the accused so he did so and followed the men along the footpath until he met Constable Birch. He then pointed out the accused, who was arrested.

The Bench commented that as the accused had a previous conviction, a fine would not be imposed. On the charge of having been found on Young’s premises, the accused was convicted and discharged, and. on the second charge was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.