Maori Who Gagged and Bound Himself

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 55, 8 March 1944, Page 4

Maori Who Gagged and Bound Himself

A half-caste Maori named Walker was reported to the police at Bulls last Thursday afternoon as missing since early the previous Tuesday morning. The police made inquiries and failed to locate him that day. On Friday Constable P. Waugh, who is relieving at Bulls, organised a search party and finally Walker was located in the bed of the Rangitikei River, gagged and bound hand and foot with wire. He appeared to be in a bad state of exhaustion so was hurried to the doctor at Bulls by car and later taken to the Palmerston North hospital where he remained till Monday. His story was that he had been the victim of an assault by two men who had bound and gagged him and kept him in a shed until Thursday afternoon when they took him to the river bed. Investigations made by the police soon brought them to the conclusion that Walker’s story was too thin although the Maori as first stubbornly held to it.. He subsequently admitted that he had gagged and bound himself. He was brought before the Magistrate in Palmerston North charged with giving false information with respect to the alleged commission of an offence, and pleaded guilty. Mr. H. P. Lawry, S.M., entered a conviction and ordered Walker to come up for sentence at any time within two years if called