A NATIVE OFFENDER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9790, 13 October 1917, Page 3

A NATIVE OFFENDER

WEARS UNIFORM WITHOUT PER- ' MISSION. A native, a returned soldier, appeared before Mr S. E. McCarthy. S.M., yesterday on a charge of ■wearing a military uniform -without authority. The accused, a well-built * young Maori named Whetu Tun, was attired in the uniform of an officer. Ho had an abundance ot hair that refused 1 to lio flat on his cranium, and on entering the dock he pleaded guilty. “I desire to make a statement. Your Honour,” 'he said, and upon being given permission ho made the following explanation: “I was discharged from the Expeditionary Force and was afterwards appointed a drill instructor to the Maoris. Eater 1 was discharged from that position and was sent among the Maoris recruiting. After doing this work for sime time X left the military altogether. I received a letter from tho Maoris asldngmo to go amongst thorn again recruiting. I put on the uniform again and did so with success. Among those I recruited wore two of my own brothers, and everyone knows that it -would be impossible to recruit Maoris without a uniform. I have done my best for ■ tho Defence Dpnrtment and this is the outcome for the services I rendered.” Inspector Marsack said the defendant had been invalided borne from Franco sick. Several warnings had been given him since ho had been charged from the Forces, and instructions given that the uniform must bo banded to the authorities. _lt was simply a matter of Maori vanity, added the inspector. The defendant, after being warned by the magistrate that he would get into trouble if he continued to wear the Uniform, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called on.