“HELP! MURDER!”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 742, 15 August 1929, Page 1

“HELP! MURDER!”

AH CHUNG MAKES FRANTIC APPEAL PUNCHED BY MAORI When Monte Grace was refused a lift on a lorry-load of vegetables driven by Ah Chung, and accompanied by Ah Lock, at Avondale, he grew irritable and punched both of them. The sequel to the little affray was heard at the Police Court this morning, when Grace, a Maori youth, was charged with assault. The two Chinese said they were coming into town with a load of vegetables when two Maoris, returning from a fishing expedition, asked for a lift. They were refused and when Grace would not'get oft' the lorry as ordered, a jug of water was thrown over him. He then assaulted the two Chinese, striking them with an iron rod and punching them. The Chinese denied using bad language to the Maoris. Only the advent of a woman prevented Grace from continuing his assault. A woman who lived nearby said she heard a commotion outside her gate, and ran out to see Grace running down the road dragging a Chinaman by one hand. The Chinaman was yelling “Murder! Murder!” There was another Maori present. She said to Grace, “Let the man go. If he has done anything to you the police will attend to that.” The Maori let the Chinaman go. The defence was that the Maoris had been given permission to ride by one Chinaman, and had been ordered off by the other, who had used bad language to them. The assault was provoked by a jug of water being thrown on Grace. “I am satisfied there was an assault,” said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. “These Maoris will have to keep away and not molest the Chinese. Grace is fined £l, costs £3. He will be given 48 hours to find the money.”