THAMES NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 10852, 29 April 1911, Page 2

THAMES NEWS.

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING.

A great deal of business was set down foj; hearing at the Magistrate's Court yesteitlay. a,nd M!r Burgess sat until nearly nine o'olocik so as t<i. avoid 1 sitting; again to-day. Tlie cases dtvilt with after we went to press yesterday were) as utndei 1: —Civil Cases.—■ Taylor Bi Jo^. v. Cl Wrathall.—Judgment foa- plaintiff :bs r default for the amount claimed, £15 11s. Bd, with costs 15s. John Muir v. J. Cameron- (New Plymouth).—Judgtrnjent for plaintiff by default for amount claimedl, £'2 12s 6d, with costs ss. John Muir v. P. Brady (Onehungu). Judgment for" plaintiff by default for amount claimed,, £-5 10s, with costs 8s

John Connolly (Mr Clendon) v. James Frendergast.—Judgment for plaintiff by default for amount claimed, £2- 2a 6d, with costs 10s. John Connolly (Mir Clendon) v. George Ludwig I —Judgment for plaintiff iby default for amount claimed, £1 18s 6d, with costs ss.

John Connolly (Mir Clendon) v. 'Rficihard Clalker.—■. —Judgment for plaintiff 'by default for the amount claimed, £1 8s 7d, with costs ss.

—Aillevved Illegal llac© Meeting, —

Charles Hxrt (a European) and two natives—Tutu Wara and Rawina Tuki, pleaded not guilty to conducting an unr'agistefed racie meating at Kerepeehi on March 20tn. 1911-

Sergeant Crean said that the police received word that a race meeting was to be held at Kerepeeln on March 20th. and Constable M.cPherson w;as sent over. When he arrived he found the meeting' in full swing. Tutu Wana was acting 1 as judge, Elawirai Tuki as starter, and Hart wais riding one of the competing horses. The cionstable advisrd the natilvies to disperse asi they were breaking the law, whereupon Hart interjected, and said that if the constable did not get out the natives would dump him in the river.

Mr Glen don said that; the natives weire holding; a sports gathering and in addition to one or two races between Maori weeds the Maoris had several foot and swimming' races.

Two European onlookers gave evidence to the effect thati they saw the Maoris indulging: in footracing', horse racingl, and swimming races. They also heard the constable threatened, but could not say who uttered the threat.

Oohsta.blo M'cPherson said thnt when he advised the natives ioi disperse Hart interfered, rind asked witness what authority he had, and told the Maoris to go on with the r'acea. Hart further said 1 that if witness did not get out the Maoris would dump him in the river. Altogether about five horse races wore held. Hart rode in two races, and when spoken to by witness became vary abusive. There were aiboufc 60 or 70 Maoris and Europeans present at the meetingl. To Mr Clendon: None of the horse r"a<3es were run on the Kcrepechi racecourse. The two Maori defendlants did not make any threats. Hart, wfis the only one who made himself objectionable.

In reply to a question by His Worship the constable; said that he went over to Kerepeehi in plain clothes, and when Hairt asiked him what authority he had for stopping the races he did not say that lie was a policeman.

Mr Clendon said that the racing took place on ground owned by the Maoris, and! there was no semblance to a race meeting' as generally understood.

Tutu Wana said that everyone wt.? givien free access to the sports. The sports wiere got up for the eniertainment of a numbei of \asiting Maoris, who Were at Kerepeehi for the oipening of a new church.

His Worship was oif the opinion' that the whole thiiuj? amounted to' a sports gathering got up on tha spur' of the moment., and was not' a race meetin?, and that sucih a gathering as this was not with the contemplation of the Ac*. The chaises would be dismissed 1. —Threatening l Behaviour.— A further thargci against Charles Hart for using .threatening 1 behaviour towards Constable McPherson in a public) place was also' dismissed. His Worship holding tha.t the scene of tlici alleged altercation was not a publia plactet. •—'Liquor and the Natives.—• I'lo'i-emce Gilmour, who was charged that she did at' Piafco<. within the W'aikato district, a prohibited area, supply liquor tc three natives, pleaded not trinity.

Mr Clendon appeared for the de 'endant.

Sergeant Cram, who appeared for tho police, said that Constable Xeill arrived at Thames on transfer from Auckland at the end of last. February, and was semt tor the Piako. ITo obtained worfc at the camp of a Belgian named! Yer'enmer, at w]i»?c camp defendant was living. He saw liquor -arrive at tho damp, and saw defendant give drinks to several natives, a.nd as a result the* present ease- was .brought. .-

James Mblndoe, clerk of the Court at Waihi. said that he reic'eived a notification that on March Ist, ten gallons* of beer w'ei-e sent to Renil Wrttmier. Mr Olondou admitted that ten gallons of bwr arrived at the Belgian's camp on March Ist addressed to "Renil Verearner' Constable 'Neill sin id that on the data in question lie was at the* Belgian's damp, and at about 11 o'clock McCartney's launch arrived and a 10 gallon ke<? of beer was put off and taken into Vercamer's camp. Defendant and some Maoris word in Torearner's whn.ro. A boy came out carrying" a billy can (wntainiug beer. IXt'endanito then «une out. 1, took the billy ca nfrom the boy, and gave some f f the lieer to thre'ei natives, and als^ gavn some to witness.

This concluded the case for tfie mo*eeution.

Mi' Clendon saidi that the defence i was an absolute denial that the liquor was giiven to the natives.

The defendant, in the box, denied that she gave liquor to thei natives. The beei' was ordered on behalf of six of the men ait the ciamp, who all signed the order. 0"n the day the. keg arrived! one of the natives.' asked for a Mly of ibecr to take toi the boss (Veimni .-:■'.• r-fr his work on the swamp. Defendant simply replied that the liquor .belonged to the boys, and if he (the native took any of it he did sao at his own risk. She gave no IViuor to Nc-'ill.

Evidence was given by Rtenil Y<renmer and Maoris, named respectively Huhu, Walter Pivimona., Tv Piuliiona, and another. They declared that they were not supplied with liquor, and they denied the police evidence, in toto. They said that tlKTo-was-no gift of liquor, and' denied that a breach of the Act had tat en place.

In this c:a,se the information v :u; dismissed, His Worship' holding 1 that tbo eividence was so contradictory that he would not. I*l justified in recording a conviction.