Shots Fired in Man-Hunt

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 112, 28 May 1937, Page 4

Shots Fired in Man-Hunt

CAR-THIEF SUSPECT Young Maori Arrested At Rukumoana DAY AND NIGHT PURSUIT Five police officers were engqged yesterday in a mian-hunt at Rukumoana for a young Maori, Hapi Atutahi, who appeared "before Mr. A. E. Bedford, J.P., in the Napier Police Court this morning charged with the unlawful eonversion of a niQtor-car. Following the reporting to the police of the theft of a car at Hamilton, the breakijig and entering of a store at Bay ViA ew, and the copversion of a furtber motqr-car gt Eskdale, tbe polipe set off in searph of a Maori wbo was suspected of the offences, aqd, after a strenuous bwt in "buphcovered hills for most of ibhe day, he was captured at four o'clopk this morning hy Constable F, Bonnington, of Napier. During Wednesday evening, a report pame to the Napier police from Hamilton tbat a car had been stolen there and might be on. the way to Napier. At an early hour on Thursday mciming, Mr. J. McHardy, owner of the Bay View store, surprised a man in his store. A struggle ensued, and the intruder, who was seen to be a young Maori, decamped, leaving behind hipl the car from Hamilton, which containeq cigarettes and food taken from the store, A quantity of petrol .had also been stolen, Scareely ha^ the offence been reported to the police, 'when it was reported that a car owned by Mr. Frank Wilson, of Bay View, had also been stolen. Car Found Abapdpqed. The second car was later fornd abandoned in % blind road leading to the Rukumoana Statjpn, with the left ?W" ning-board and the side of the car damaged as the result, apparently, of a collision. with a clay " bank. The search was immediately begun, and early in the morning Constable! Dl Walden, of Bay View, caught sight 0# a Maori in the scrub. Although he was only a few yards away, the thiek growth hindered the officer in. his chase, and the MaoTi got away. f At about two o 'elock yegterday afternoon threc cars containing Senior-Ser-geant W, Pender, Detective-Seygeant H. Nuttall and Constables D, Beck and F. Bonnington from Napier and Constable Walden from Bay View ayyived at) the scene and began a searcb of the loeality from the starting poinf of the abandoned car. Thiek serub hindered the searehers in their work, and no sight of the f ugitive ' was obtajned, although footprints leading along the bank of a ereek appeared to have been made by him. Sbots Fired as Warnipg. Finally the officers caught sight of their quany as be made away up a hillside, and several shots were fired over 'his head as a warning. He did nQt heed the, warning, bowever, and was quickly lost sight of.* Detective-Ser-geant Nuttall then discovered a fire on the side of the road, apparently lighted b.y the f ugitive, but no further trace had been found .Jjy him by dusk, wben tbe majority of tbe party, after -warning settlers in tbe vicinity to be on tbe lookout for bim, went back to Napier, leaving Constable Bonnington and Walden at Te Pohue, about 30 miles from Napier, and about four miles from tbe abandoned car. It was tbougbt tbat tbe man mighf endeavour to "obtain food by breaking into tbe store, and for some time a wateb was kept tbere by tbe police officers. At an early bour in the morning, bowever, they left tbe store and explored tbe road past Te Pohue. Aboi\ balf a mile past the Te Pohue Hotel, Atutahi was seen in the middle of tbe road, apparently boping to "obtain a ride out of tbe district in a car. The constables separated, Constable Bonnington going through the busb at the side of the road to get ahead of him and cut pff any retreat in that direction, while Constable Walden slowly approached along the rpad. Atutahi tben went through tbe fence at tbft side of tbe road toward Constable Bonnington, who ran down the slope and arrested him. Beyond stating: "I'm the fellow you're looking for," the prisoner did not speak, He offered no resistance. In the Court this morning be was charged with the unlawful eonversion of a car, valued at £120, the property of Frank Wilson. With the consent of aecused, he was remanded to June 7, tbe Detective-Sergeant remarking tbat further charges were yet to be laid.