OLD MAORI ROBBED

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1928, Page 4

OLD MAORI ROBBED

YOUNG MAX ADMITS THEFT. NAPIEB. -March 20. The story of the fleecing of an aged .Maori by a Maori youth from the Waikato was unfolded in the Hastings Police Court to-day, when Barn Hurukuru pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing £202 in money from Umolii Towhare, at Pakipaki, on March 2. Detective Fitzgibbon stated that Towliare lived at Waimarama, and towards the end of February was returning home from a visit to Katana. He was an aged man and sickly, and stayed I for some time on his way hack at I Pakipaki. While he was there a man named Guy Field paid him £307 rent, and Towlmre. instead of hanking it, foolishly kept it about his person. Towhare felt ill while he was at Pakipaki. and asked some of the Natives there to attend to him. Accused, who came from the Waikato, and who seemed to live an impecunious and vagrant life, was being hospitably harboured by the Pakipaki Natives. It was soon noticed that accused was extraordinarily flush of money, and he was seen to have large numbers of banknotes. When the aged Towhare had been ultimately taken to Napier Hospital, it was discovered that all the money he had was C-19. Suspicion fell on the accused and he was interviewed by a detective. At first he denied his guilt, but later admitted it. He was found to have banked some of the money, to have spent some and to have hidden the rest of it under a house. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington foi sentence. *