DESPERATE COMBAT IN BUSH.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18230, 14 November 1924, Page 6

DESPERATE COMBAT IN BUSH.

■ —— FIGHT BETWEEN PORTUGUESE SAILORS. (MUMS ASSOCUTIOII mintiu ) WHANGARJEI, November 13. Details of the violent fracas in the Motatau district vary in several respects from.those first reported yesterday. The police and the medical man returned late last night, after a strenuous journey, involving a twelve mile ride from 'Motatau station to the scene of the combat, which was situated in dense bush. Th© men concerned are Portuguese, John Grapani and Desidero Diaz, formerly sailors on the vessel Cecilia Sudden, which was burned near the Great Barrier about three yeara ago. They-took up their residence later -with the Maoris, Diaz marrying a Maori woman. Diaz stated to the police that Grapani returned to his whare in an intoxicated state on Tuesday night, seized an axe and threatened to all Diaz _ and his wife. Grapani. struck a ferocious blow at Dj&z, clipping off part of one ear and! inflicting minor flesh wounds on his chest. Diaz grappled with his assailant, wresting an axe from him. He then picked up a heavy _ rata stick and struck Grapani four times on the head, fracturing his skull and rendering him unconscious. Diaz then proceeded to tie up Grapani and left him lying outside th® whare during tjhe Bigtefc. (Grapani freed from his bondk. crawled back into the whare, and gob on to a bunk, where be -was again bound by the Maoris.

The police party yesterday afternoon experienced considerable difficulty in conveying the wounded man on horseback over the rough hush track to where motor-cars were wafting. The journey was then bong completed to Whangarei Hospital, where Griipani lies in a vary' precarious condition, and m expected! to snccarnb to his terrible injuries. ■. # Diaz has not been placed under arwrt, apparently having acted in selfdefano®.