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AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

. EVADING MILITARY DUTY. A Palmerston North wire received yesterday states that Michael Kelklea, charged with evading military service, had been living in a cave in'the back district of Waitotara, being afraid to come out because his employer terrorised him by a statement that if he came out he would be shot, and that accused's employer did sentry-go while tlie«accU9cd cut bush for him.

At the court-martial, Major Edward Percy Cox, Commander Group 8, Hawera, said he did not see the accused until he was arrested and handed over to the military authorities. Accused then made a voluntary statement that ho had received his notice to parade, but that he had been advised not to report himself, and that if he did so it would only mean accused going away tolx! shot. He then we.nt to" Upper Waitotara, and remained there until the 10th of October last, v Prior to the 10th he had intended going into Waitotara and giving himself up. and applied to his employer for the refund of £3O which he held on his behalf. This his employer agreed to repay the accused, hut at the same time ho'told him that if he informed against him he would blow accused's brains out. Accused then left, after obtaining £2O of the money owing to him, and went on to another property, where ho was arrested soon afterwards. The man who advised the acccused still owed him £lO, which he had handed to him for safe keeping. The accused appeared to be a man who would be easily influenced by a stronger-minded person. . Constable Brcen, of Waitotara, stated that he received a copy of the New Zealand Police Gazette stating that accused was "wanted" by the Defence Department. Witness effected the arrest of the accused at Kapara. When arrested, accused«was walking along r track in the bush, about 20 miles from Taimanuka. Witness was present when the statement was made to Major Cox. Accused said he was prepared to fight. He further stated that he worked for a man who supplied him with food, and who bad undertaken to let accused know when any person was approaching. Accused said he had lived in a cavo at the back of his employer's place. Michael Killalca stated on oath that he was a laborer by occupation. ll<* had been out from Ireland three years. After arriving in New Zealand he' went (o Taranaki and remained there till he was called up. • When he received Ins notice to parade he was working at a station, and lived in a whare with three other fellows. A man who was working for the Public Works Department but who had previously been discharged from camp as unfit for military service, gave him a fortnight's work, 'and told witness not to go into camp, as it was no good, and that he would not get proper tucker there. The man witness subsequently worked for, told him ■ he could hide On his section, and gave him a tent. Witness could find no water, so gave him the tent back. The man then made him a dug-out on his prope"rty', and witness lived there for seven weeks. Witness sat in the dug-out all day for seven weeks, and his employer supplied him with bread. .During, the night he ventured out for .a drink of water. The weather came on very wet, and the hole got swamped, so he* went to the, whare, but his employer would not let him live there, so he made another dug-out in a sandstone hill on higher ground. During the wliole seven weeks in the first dug-out the man who hadgiven him this advice brought him nothing but bread, except once when he brought a little meat. There was butter on the bread only once or twice. He remained in the second dug-out about six months, and worked for the man he had referred to, cutting tracks through the bush, grubbing, and planting potatoes. He very occasionally got lea and vegetable soup, AW sometimes tinned meat, and he was literally starving with hunger. Witness wanted to leave, man would not give him the £3O which witness had asked him to keep for him. He told him that the authorities wore taking the deserters on board ship and dumping them overboard, and also that a lot had been shot in Wellington. He believed all his employer told him. and that, if he «ave himself up, he would be treated in a siinilar way. Witness said he would give himself up, and his employer threatened to blow out witness's' brains it be informed on him. After niuoh trouble he got £-20 from his employer. If he had not been advised by "the two men ho had spoken of, he would have answered the parade notice and paraded when called upon. He only passed the Third Standard in Ireland when he was 14 ycara old.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19171117.2.55

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1917, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
821

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY. Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1917, Page 8

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY. Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1917, Page 8

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