THE ALLEGED MURDER AT OHINEMURI.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 507, 25 August 1871, Page 2

THE ALLEGED MURDER AT OHINEMURI.

Mr. PtCKBT, Native Agent, and Mr a i. Inspector Bullen, returned from CftlnJir; last evening, whither they had gone t,?tigate the statements that had been mS™ to the murder of a native woman. An ;„ ** gation had been made by the Native Ar.?' 11' of the district, who nt for four dim "! heard a large number of witnesses It»*?!! appear, however, that the Haub.au part*, opposed to the Government Asse»sor& suming any jurisdiction at Ohinemuril«i said that Te Hira was the man who ouiM have held the inquiry. The Haiihaiis £A vented several witnesses from appearing bJSifc the assessors, but they offered no obstruct; Wl to the inquiries made by Mr. BuUen and wl^Puckey. . . ua-*r.^ It appears froni the statement-irfim Whanaur the husband of the • deceJl Matonu, that on Thursday, the 2?th of Jn] he and hia wife ,were on the rangei at the hS of Hikuteia. digging-.gum.' theiiut"of =S Hauhau and his wife was close to, but tt most of the natives engaged at the enin * digging were at about-ten chains off.. Qnt?" morning of .the 27th, i;Te Htauhau sid'hiSr left to go to Te Komoto for potatoes,' inffi Whanau and the other natives left forth, gum-digging place, which was about ttromiU off. -Aboy named Heta was left not&ftfcJL Te Whanau's hut. When the latter wt3 S about sundown, he found his wife crouching by the fire, terribly cut on the face ' head, neok, :and shoulders.- gpino )0 f,.«.' wounds were long cuts as ijf by a etaM implement; other wounds are desoribedybeing round, and of such a form that it v difficult to think of any weapon: which could have caused them. When asked who had inflicted the wounds, the deceased replied that she did not kno^r j that. t]be:only period ehe had seen was Hefaj who had cotrielo' fetch some gum belonging to Te Hanha(j. Some time after, she was' sitting at the door looking into the hut, putting gum~ma basket, and whilst in that ■ portion:! she was struck from behind. Several (jnuj S Te Whanau pressed his wife to telThta who hod wounded her4, but she always replied that she didnot.inow. Te Whanau went for the other natives, and to them deceased made the same statement. She lingered all that night., and died neit morning. :An axe belonging to" 'Te Hiu« hau had been found in; fern, but there were no marks of blood"upon it. Both Heta I and Te Whanau declare that they were neTet near deceased's hut, and their statementa «« borne out by other natives. -■ The whole-affair is very mysterious. Itii difficult to conceive that deceased Jcould not seethe nerson who,struck.her SQnjanyJJlojrj. when she able 'td come from the.uoo^i'lxj the fireplace, and sit dowii for bo long.*{rathe other hand, it is difficult to believe that j the. wouuds wer<? inHicted by ■ deceased herself.—Advertiser i August 24. ;