FAILED TO RETURN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 196, 12 April 1932, Page 6

FAILED TO RETURN

MAORI FINED FOR UNLAWFUL APPROPEjlATION OF CYCLE j When Paul Rau decided that he 1 would like to ride a motor-cycle, he j went into a local garage and nominated himself as a prospective cus- | tomer. Customers, prospective or | otherwise, are always welcome and Rau was one of the number. He was invited to go for a trial spin, but when the garage proprietors saw him disappear, they never contemplated that the spin would extend for nearly a week. j When the cycle disappeared carrying Rau, it failed to re-appear for two days. Then its would-be purehaser rang the garage and informed the own ers that he had, had a most unfortun1 ate collision with a motor lorry? and as is the fate of most things which eollide with motor lorries, the cycle was the worse for wear. However, Rau gave an undertaking thati he would repair the machine and return it to its home. Another day elapsed and then the motor cycle reappeared, but still in the condition in which the motor lorry had left it.

The garage proprietors were naturally not pleased, and put- a number of searching questions to Rau, who in his turn apparently decided to give them some searching in raal earnest. With this end in view, he disappeared again into the night and despite an intensive search, in which .the police assisted, once again proved his elusiveness. However, last week he finally decided to call it a day and walked into the police station to inform the j senior-sergeant that he was available if required. As a result, he appeared in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court yesterday morning charged with the unlawful appropriation of a motor cycle the property of John James Lewis, and also with riding a motor cycle without being the holder of the neeessary driver's license. The Magistrate pointed out to Rau that his proper course was to send him to gaol. He would, however, be given another chance and admitted to a term of two years probation with the attached conditions that he pay the sum of £10 to cover the damage to the cycle, and take out a prohibi- ' tion order against himself. Unless these conditions were fulfilled, he would be brought before the court again and sent to gaol.