Patea

INTRUDERS IN CHINESE SHOP. FIRED ON BY OWNER. ONE WOUNDED IN THE LEG. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) HAWERA, this day. The ''Star's" Patea correspondent telegraphs that the peace of Patca was disturbed about 11 o'clock last night by the sound of discharging firearms. Wong, a fruiterer in Egmont Street, when retiring to bed heard sounds of his back window opening, and shortly after heard the footsteps of two men within the building. Wong loaded a revolver and went to the door of the room whence the sound came. All was in darkness. He called out two or three times "Hands up." There was no response to the demand, and Wong fired at the floor. He again challenged without result and again fired, but this time hit one of the intruders in the leg. The other, who was unwounded, made a hasty exit. The wounded man came to Wong who, keeping him covered, switched on the light in the shop and ordered the man off the premises. The wounded man is now in hospital. The affair seems to have started in a joke to frighten Wong. Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 299, 15 December 1923, Page 6

THE YELLOW MAN FIRED Shots In The Stilly Night At Peaceful Patea White Youth to Lead a Model Life. (Prom "Truth's" Taranaki Rep.) The peaceful precincts of prosperous Patea (Taranaki) are not frequently disturbed at the dead of night by a couple of revolver shots and the sound of a Celestial voice yelling in anguish: "Help my shop!" But it appears that even the most circumspect village must be subjected to a little disturbance occasionally;- and just the other day saw the final stages of a case m the Police Court following a midnight escapade which happened about the middle of December last in the little boohi burg. On this occasion one of the young bloods of the town, Percy Gordon Carey, was placed on probation for 12 months under stringent— but not too stringent conditions. The circumstances of the affair, as revealed before Mr. J.S. Barton, S.M., showed Carey in rather a bad light, it being stated in evidence that Albert Wong, the Chow owner of a little fruit shop, had just locked up the spoils of the day's business and laid himself to rest when the sound of the fruit room window being stealthily raised put the wind up him. The Revolver Spoke - Hopping out of bed, Wong grabbed the first thing he came tc, which happened judiciously enough— to be a murderous-looking, six-shooter. He called "Who's there? I shoot if you don't answer! But beyond the sound of stealthily moving feet the inky blackness gave no sign. Wong could stand it no longer, and, after calling again, he put a bullet into the floor "just to frighten him," and then fired a second. The latter, however, was badly directed and it caught the intruder, who proved later to be, Carey, in the leg. Wong switched on the light and identified his guest; but resented all appeals to come across with the shooting iron. He was marching the quarry to the village constable when the prisoner ran away; so the brainy Chink again pierced the night air with bullet holes. The youth Carey was subsequently roped m by 6ft 6in of blue uniform and charged with, entering the shop of Wong with intent to commit a crime; also of being a rogue arid a vagrant. The accused attempted to exonerate himself on the excuse that he required cigarettes, but could not stretch it sofar as to say the free and easy style of business warranted crawling into the shop, at midnight. The Chink, too, settled accused's yarn by telling the Court that on the afternoon prior to the dirty deed Carey had entered the. shop and had gone behind the counter, calling Wong bad names and threatening to kill him. COVERED WITH THE GUN. Was it any wonder, therefore, Wone asked, that he kept him covered with the gun, and showed his affection by an occasional .shot? This was stated to be the second occasion on which Carey had entered Wong's premises An this way, the first time being one night a year ago. Mr. Cohen, for the accused youth, submitted that the action "of Carey was committed more as drunken bravado than with criminal intent, as he had been under the "fluence" at the time. The. Magistrate wouldn't swallow this, however, and cited Carey's expressed opinion that "these yellow 'should not be allowed in New Zealand," and his offer to "wang the yellow His Worship. stipulated that .the wayward one is to abstain from drink during his probation, and keep from the hotels, and generally be a model boy, under pain of a term in gaol. NZ Truth , Issue 954, 8 March 1924, Page 6