LOYAL MAORIS.—RESCUE OF A PRISONER.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1692, 21 July 1875, Page 4

LOYAL MAORIS.—RESCUE OF A PRISONER.

A correspondent, under the signature "Dudley," sends the following :—" I have this morning been informed from an eyewitness, whose truth I can rely on, of the rescue by the Maoris of a noted thief of their own tribe from the hands of Constable Limmpr, of Point Russell. The officer had secured his prisoner at Waitakaruru by name at the present time Tepare Pikari, though I understand he has a good many "aliases" The simple facts of the case are : That the officer, who was accompanied by a native, had secured his prisoner and was in the act of handcuffing him, when a rush was made by the natives, and.he was released. The constable's life Was actually in danger, as one of the Maoris held over him a lo.aned bunting whip, while another went for a gun for the purpose as he said of shooting him ; bud he was stopped by the other Maoris present. Tepare Pikaro is a well-known noted thief. The present charge against him is for horsestealing from European settlers, and in this he seems an expert, he has been previously convicted for larceny, but broke out from the Papakura lock-up some three years ago, and has been at large committing depredations both from Pakehss and Maoris ever since, and it is high time he was dealt with by English law, as no settler is safe while such a rogue is at large. I leave it in abler hands than mine to suggest such measures as the Government ought immediately to take demanding his being given up, feeling sure that this plain statement will be sufficient to ventilate tbe matter."