POLICE COURT, ARATAPU.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 174, 2 December 1892, Page 2

POLICE COURT, ARATAPU.

November 26th, (Before Messrs T. Webb and M. Harding J’s P.) W. Butler and H. Rowe, two boys aged eighteen and seventeen, respectively, were charged by Constable Scott with stealing a box of honey, the property of George Cash, of Oririkura, of the value of £l. The plaintiff deposed that on Thursday, 17th be found that two of bis hives had been robbed. The prisoners had passed through his place about half an hour previously. On Tuesday 22nd hearing some voices he went out to see, and found the two prisoners with one of his hives which contained about 401bs of honey. They were apparently trying to smash the box with a stick. On seeing him they ran away. He and his brother ran after them and came up with them at the creek. They said that a boy named Schick had told them they might take the honey. They had carried the box of honey away about a hundred yards. The boy Schick was examined and deposed that the prisoners had told him what a fine feed of honey they had had. He denied telling them anything about a dead rnaori or the honey. Prisoners denied taking the honey on the 17th, but admitted taking the box on the 22nd, and said Schick had told them the hives belonged to a dead rnaori who was buried close by them, and that in consequence the maories woidd not touch the honey. In answer to the Bench prisoners agreed, if a little time were given them, to pay for the honey and also expenses of the witness Schick and Court fees, amounting altogether to £1 14s. The Bench said that on these conditions they would inflict only a nominal punishment of 24 hours imprisonment, but warned the prisoners that this was done only in consideration of their youth. But for this they would assuredly have gone to prison. People living so far away from the police must b 3 protected.