POKENO

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 376, 17 May 1918, Page 2

POKENO

THE BCHOOLMABTBR'B APPLES. THEFT CHARGE DISMISSED HOUSEHOLDERS' MEETING SEQUEL.

Another phase of the strife existent at Pokeno between the local School Committee and " the Opposition " party of residents, with the latter of which the school-master (Mr Geo. Lippiatt) is associated, developed at the Pukekohe Magistrate's Court yesterday when three lads, who were understood to be sons of supporters of the School Committee, were charged with having stolen a quantity of apples, valued at £l, the property of Mr Lippiatt. Mr V. R- Meredith defended and several residents of the Pokeno district were present in Court'. The facts, as detailed by Mr Lippiatt, were to the effect that the applee were purloined on the. night of Monday, April 22nd, when the meeting of householders was being held for the election of the School Committee. \The apples had been stored in boxes, which were hinging from branches of pine trees in Mr Lippiatt's garden in near proximity to the school where the meeting was in progress. Cross-examined by Mr Meredith, Mr Lippiatt admitted that he himself might have stolen apples when he was a boy. Annoyed by further questions SBked him by Counsel, Mr Lipjnatt indignantly exclaimed, " I consider the - Pokeno . School Committee responsible for the defendants being brought to Court. If the Committee had conducted their business in a gentlemanly way the hoys would not Ibe here. For the last six months—"

At this stage the Magistrate interposed and pointed out that Mr Lippiatt's remarks were not relevant to the charge. Mr Meredith : But for your pique at the result: of the School Committee election there would not havrf been a charge ?—Witness: No. Mr Lippiatt, in further reply to Mr Meredith, said he had displayed a notice on his gate offering a reward of-£5 for infoimation leading to the conviction of the partiea who took the applee. He did not know that the apples were being openly eaten at the meeting but the next morning he found remnants of them in the porch. He denied that he ran " a ticket " at the meeting although he confessed to being keenly interested in the proceedings. , He admitted that he had anticipated trouble over the applee. on the occasion of the meeting and for that reason he had tied two dogs up under the trees near the apples. Mr Meredith: Why did you not instead of laying a trap shift the applet—No answer was forthcoming. Mr Meredith: Have you ever made any- remarks to the school children about 'the New Zealand soldiers being- sneak thieves?—l have not but I know the School Committee say I have and that some of the children also say so. His Worship suggested to Counsel that such a happening was immaterial to the case. Mr Meredith: I want to show that it is only through bitter feeling that so trumpery a charge has been laid. i

Mr Lfppiatt: The feeling has been stirred Up by-the Bchool Com* mittee and if that was not so the boys' would not be in Court. The Magistrate : Enough has been said to satisfy me that there is bitter feeling. Constable Taylor, of Tuakau, deposed to having interviewed two of the defendants who admitted that they had taken the applee as a joke. He (the Constable) understood that several men at the meeting had eaten the apples Since two of the defendants alone had made admissions to Constable Taylor the case against the third lad, as to whom no evidence was tefidered, was at this stage dismissed by the Magistrate. Mr Meredith, in addressing Hp Worship on behalf of the two remaining defendants, asked that the charge should bp dismissed as trivial. The evidence of Mr Lippiatt, he contended, disclosed animus and a conviction for a boyish he po ; nted out, would prejudice the lads in future days. The Magistrate stated that he appreciated the seriousness of entering a conviction against youths and he would therefore dismiss the charge as. trivial but at the same time he desired the lads to understand that they could not repeat their acts with impunity. In reply to Sergeant Matthews, His Worship declined to allow any costs for the prosecution. Another boy of younger years, against whom proceedings were to have been taken in the Juvenile Court in connection with the occurrence, received some wholesome words of advice from the Magistrate and the charge against him was then withdrawn.