WAIROA POLICE COURT.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 129, 11 June 1901, Page 1

WAIROA POLICE COURT.

(Our Own Correspondent.) Wairoa, Juno 2. Before Justices Powdrell and AVhitc this morning a Maori named Ratea Horitana, was tried for brutally assaulting a man named Pritchard last Friday evening. It seems the Maori iu question deliberately struck Pritchard a blow in the face without auy provocation whatever, rendering him unconscious for several hours. Accused was committed to gaol for one month, without the option of a fine. Two Assyrians named George Mitchell and John Joe were each fined 20s fer cruelty to animals.

A prohibition order was granted against Alfred John James, at his own request. The half-caste Harry Noye (or Robinson) was charged before Justices John Hunter Brown and G. Britnelhthat he did feloniously steal from the shop of John Mayo'a purse containing £22 18s Bd, on Saturday evening, June Ist. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. John Mayo, sworn, stated : I am a saddler carrying on business in Wairoa. I knew tho accused; ho has has often been in my shop. Ho used to work next door, and is acquainted with my premises. I did not soo him in my shop on Saturday night last, Juno Ist. I was very busy that evening in my shop. I cashed a cheque for William Coghlan for £5 16s Bd. It was drawn in Coghlau’s favor, and signed by M. Mackay, managor of Kiwi Station, I cashed the cheque about 7 p.m., or perhaps a little before that hour. I put it in my pocket-book, and left the pocket-book on tho counter in my back shop. There were also .£l7 in bank notes in the pocket-book. I left my shop about 8 p.m. for about half-an-hour, and left the lamp burning in the shop. When I returned to the shop, about quarter to nine, I went to where I had left the pocketbook, and found .it gone. I did not give anyone authority to movo the pocketbook. When I loft the shop I locked the back door, but could not say whether it was bolted or not. No one had permission to enter the shop during my absence. When I returned I found the front door ; of my shop still locked. My total loss loss ‘amounts to £22 18s Bd. I did not leave any person in my shop when I went out David Thomas Bird, sworn, stated : I am a bootmaker, carrying on business in ■ Wairoa. I know accused; he is called Harry. He came to my shop last Saturday night, the Ist inst., about 9. I sold him a pair of boots. He gave mo a cheque. It was signed by Mr Mackay, of Kiwi Station, and drawn in favor of William Coghlan. Tho cheque was for £5 16s Bd. I cashed the cheque and gave him £5 10s change. I next saw accused Sunday morning. He said the boots were too large, and wanted a pair a size smallor. I changed tho boots for him. He said he had got into a row over the cheque he gave mo on Saturday night. He said it belonged to his mate, and the mate had said the cheque was for ;£9, and that he had not received enough change for it. I asked him why ho had not brought his mate, but he said his mate would not come. He also said I had better give him the cheque, and he would give me the money for it. I returned the cheque and he gave me £6 in notes, and I gave him the balance in silver and coppers. He took the cheque away with him ; this was about 8 a.m. lam certain the accused is

the person I cashed the cheque for, and he is also the person to whom I handod the cheque on Sunday morning. Jessie Lambert, sworn, said : I am the wife of Thos. Lambort, of Wairoa, and keep a fruiterer’s shop. I know the accused. He came to my shop last Saturday night between 8 and 9. Ho asked me for a shilling’s worth of lollies He produced a cheque for £5 16s Bd. I did not notice who signed the cheque nor in whose Javor it was drawn, as I could not change it. I handed it back to the accused, and he took tlio cheque away with^kim.

By accused : Was in Lambert’s shop between 8 and 9 p.m. on Saturday. Mary Lambert, sworn, said: lam 12 years old. I know the accused. I saw him in my mother’s shop last Saturday night. I saw my mother give him back a cheque. LSon’t know for what amount

it was. George Perkins, sworn, said : I am a storekeeper carrying on business in Wairoa. I know the accused. Ho came to my shop last Saturday night betweon 8 and 9. He paid me his account of £5 Bs. He handed mo six pounds in notes. Ho did not take the change then, but came for it on Sunday morning. I gave him a receipt when he paid his account.

Peter Crarer, sworn, said : I am an hotelkeeper at North Clyde, Wairoa. I know the accused. About a week ago he borrowed ten shillings from me. He said he wanted to buy a horse ; ho repaid me last Saturday night between 9 and 10. Phillip Henry Summerfield, sworn, stated : I am a butcher, carrying on business in "Wairoa. I know the accused, and saw him last Saturday night about a quarter to 9. I sold him a horse for £6, and gave him a receipt for £5, that being the amount I asked for the horse, but the accused insisted on my taking £6. I also sold him meat to the value of 16s, which he paid. He did not take the horse away, as I required the use of it on Sunday, but told him he could get it on Monday. Tho horse is still in my possession, and the money also. '• i Re-called by tho Bench : Accused nsed to work for me. My back premises and Mr John Mayo’s open out-into the same yard. Accused worked for me on and off for three months, and was well acquainted with both my premises and Mr John Mayo’s. To Nai Maranga, stated : I know the accused Harry, the prisoner. On Sunday morning he came to my place, and asked me who owned the little horse. I told him that it was mine. He said he wished to buy it, and asked the price, and I told him JE3. He then asked me to go to Peter Crarer’s Hotel, where he paid me the money for the horse. The receipt produced is the one I gave him. Herbert John Bennett, duly sworn, deposed : lam a police constable, stationed at Wairoa. I arrested accused this morning at Ruataniwha. I charged him with having stolen the pocket-book out of Mayo’s shop. He denied having done so, and denied having a cheque in his possession on Saturday night last. He said he was not in Mrs Lambert’s shop at all, and that the money he had been spending had been given him by his father, George Robinson, at Mahia. I saw him searched at the police-station, and three _ receipts were found on him, also one shilling in money. 1 endeavored to trace the cheque and pocket-book, but so far have been unable to do so. _

Constable Kennedy, who conducted the prosecution, pointed out that fifteen guineas had been traced. The prisoner then stated : I got .£ls from my father last- Thursday. It did not belong to him but to him and his father. It was all in one pound' notes. His father owned half of it, and told him to take, his half, and give the other half to his mother in AVairoa. He got £4 from Bendall for work ho had done. That made £l9 he had in his possession when he came to AVairoa. He arrived in AVairoa on Thursday night, and gave half the money to his mother.as requested by his father. AVith his half, be bought horses and paid his debts. His mother told him to take her half, and when he had purchased the horses to give her back the balance. H|, however, spent all the money, so had do thing to return. He gave £3 10s to hitPsister. The Bench committed accused to take his trial at the n'fext sitting of the Supreme Court at Napier on September 16th, 1901,