SUPPLYING LIQUOR TO NATIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1918, Page 3

SUPPLYING LIQUOR TO NATIVES.

CHARGES AT NEW PLYMOUTH. Several charges of supplying liquor to natives ware heard, jii tlie Magistrate's L'oult yesterday. The lirst was one against Kuapoutonia, of i'uniho, of supplying liquor to Atutalii Ruakuwai at .vloturoa, on Sept. 14, to which defendant pleaded guilty, lie was convicted and lined £ 10. A charge of supplying to Kura ilakopa was, on the applieauou of Sub-inspector Hutton, wilharawn. Edward Walsh was charged on three counts of supplying liquor at Oakura on 14th Sept. to .Mrs. Atutalii, and to Ruapoutonia, ijiio was then it male, native, and under the influence oi liquor. He was also charged with supplying liquor in an area pro|laimed to be a prohibited area. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was represented by Mr. A- H, Johnstone. Ruapoutonia said lie was in Sew Plymouth in his motor car on Sept. 14. He went from New Plymouth to Pungareliu with some other natives and Walsh, and they stopped at Oakura and had some drinks at the hotel He saw no bottles brought out of the hotel. He had a. drink with the defendant, but it was supplied by the hotel. After going to Pungarehu to take Turoa home, they returned to Oakura at about T in the evening. There were only witness and Mrs Atutahi in the car at that time. Walsh was there at the time, and witness had a drink out ofjiis bottle, outside the hotel. When lie arrived back in' New Plymouth he found soma bottle 3 in his car. He did not see them put in the car. They stayed at Oakura about half an hour. They were not in the hotel, because it was closed. He saw no drink given to the. woman in the car. Turoa drove the car down to Pungarehu, but witness drove it back. '£% Mr. Johnstone: Witness lived at Puniho. Defendant lived at Oakura, and had been given a lift home by witness on Sept. .14. He had been living at Moturoa for several days with Mrs. Atutahi. He lived in the house of Ban Karana, who was a married man, but was living with liis ''new woman." The woman was married- Next morning witness' wife came on the scene and found him in bed with Atutahi, In consequence she was very angry and went and complained to the police. He was ?iire it was Walsh who gave Wm the drink at Oakura. There were others there but lie could not say who they were. All the drink.they had on the way down to Pungarehu was had inside the hotel at Oakura. Tangi Atutahi said she was in New Plymouth on Sept. 14, and went to Oakura by motor with Una.and defendant. There was no liquor in the car. She saw the men drinking inside the hotel. She did not know what time it was, hut the hotel was closed.. They got hack to Oakura from Pungarehu very late. She saw defendant and other Europeans but did not know any others. She saw the hotclkeeper give drink to Sua and some Europeans. Walsh also save Rua a bottle of liquor which was put in the earTo Mr. Johnstone: Her home was in Xormasby. She had been staying at Moturoa at Kura's for about a week or two. Pviia liad visited her there. She went to Pungarehu because Rua had astel her to so. When they came back to Oakura Walsh was there in the hotel. To the Magistrate: The first time she saw Walsh, was the night they drove to Oakura. To Mr. Johnstone: She had played cards with Walsh at Oakura a considerable time before. Turoa deposed that on Sept. 14 he left Now Plymouth in a motor car with Rua, Atutahi, and the defendant for Pungarehu. Tho hotel was open when they reached Oakura. He and Rua had drinks in the hotel. He saw no pakehas give liquor to any natives. Mr. Johnstone said there was no reliable evidence that accused had supplied liquor to the natives, and the ease must therefore be dismissed. The only evidence was the statements of tv® disreputable Maoris, who had been living in open adultery. He said their statement was that accused had given drink to Rua out of a bottle, but there, was nothing to show that the liquor was intoxicating. He submitted there was no case for defendant to answer. The Magistrate held there was a ease, but Mr. Johnstone called no evidence, and a conviction was recorded, and a fine of £lO imposed on the charge of supplying liquor in a, prohibited area. The other informations were withdrawn. Costs and expenses amounting to £2 3s 7d were allowed.