GERMAN V. MAORI

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 848, 17 December 1929, Page 18

GERMAN V. MAORI

NEIGHBOURS AT VARIANCE STORY OF THROWN KISSES From Our Own Correspondent WHANGAREI, Monday. Claiming that Mate Luke, a Maori, had used insulting language to his wife, Moss Smith, a German, applied in the Magistrate's Court to Mr. G. N. Morris, S.M., to have Luke bound over to keep the peace. Smith said he objected to Luke crossing his property, and had put up notices forbidding trespassing. Luke had said he would cross the land and mado objectionable references to witness’s wife. Under cross-examination Smith said he had never seen his wife make certain gestures to Luke or throw kisses to him. Witness had never threatened Luke with a stick .or struck him. lie denied saying “I am not going to be beaten by any British scrubber.” W. Hayes substantially corroborated the evidence of Smith. Witness said he had seen Smith follow Luke along the fence with a stick to prevent him crossing the land. The defence was that Luke’s people owned a lot of land at Whakapara, where both parties reside, and when the Maori consolidated committee visited the locality, the question of an exchange of land between Smith’s and Luke’s people was discussed. Since then both parties had been at loggerheads. although good friends previously. Luke said he was loading timber on the day in question. When Mrs. Smith was at her back door and made an improper gesture to him, and threw kisses, and he returned a few in reply. When he and Smith had an altercation, Smith said, “You think the British beat the Germans, but you won’t beat this one.” Witness denied saying anything improper about Smith’s wife or that he had used any insulting language. In binding Luke over to keep the peace in the sum of £2O, and ordering him to pay £3 16s 6d costs, the magistrate added that if there was any more trouble he would also bind Smith over.