FIRED AT A "GHOST."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 831, 1 June 1910, Page 5

FIRED AT A "GHOST."

AND KILLED A MAN. mOKI CHARGED WITH MURDER. (Bjr TeleeriiDh-Pre«3 Association.! Auckland, May 31. A young Maori, named Matetu Purua, was to-day placed in the dock at tho Auckland Supreme Court on a charge of murdering one Tβ Maim Horomano at Waingaroa, in the Raglan district, on March 15. last. Some interesting evidence about old Maori superstitions was given.

"On the fateful" evening," tho Crown (Prosecutor stated, "tho prisoner and an■other 'Native were in a whare squaring up matters in connection with' a bushfelling contract. When they had finished, the prisoner's companion went outsido to catch his horse, and ride to his habitation, Purua also going into the paddock. When the figure of a human being was seen on the track passing ■ down the hill, about a chain or a chain and a. half away, a challenge was issued as the figure moved forward. "If you are a Maori . speak, or I will shoot you!" This was repeated in English, and, as there was no response, nrisoner discharged his firearm—a double-barrel gun—and' the figure disappeared. The two Maoris then returned to the whare, put out all lights, ana- peered into the darkness, but no further sign. of the-abject'was seen. In the morning they went along the track, and found a deaf and dumb Native lying on the ground. Ho was carried to the whare, and the prisoner and his friend did what thej could ti, relievts the injured man, but he breathed his last in a few minutes." Cross-examined by Mr. Reed, who appeared for the defence, Takuata Rawiri, prisoners mate, was asked: "What opinion did you form when no answer fame from the object?" Witness: I thought that it was a ghost. His Honour: Have you previously seen anything-Mint you thought waa a ghost? .Witness: No, but I have heard about them, and I thought, that this was n gliost-the things the people had always been talking about. We came to the conclusion that was a ghost; it did not speak, and did not answer. Proceeding, witness stated that prisoner was greatly distressed on finding that he had shot Horomano. Ho voluntarily gave himself up to the police, asking witness to accompany him to Kaglan. ~ iliv role: Did you have any ghosts an the house that night?—"No" No spirits.-—"No." ' .Did-you have any kind of spirits?— His Honour: Do you think ghosts will no you any haniir Wituess: .The old people in the village flave 'spoken about bad peop!o ever since I was a child, and I thought this object »ns what they had always been speaking Bbout. A ghost, hart come at last. Alter further evidence, Mr. -Reed submitted, on behalf of the accused; that when he challenged the object on die hill in both the Maori and European languages, and got no reply, he did not believo it was a man, and did not know what_ to-make of it, so he discharged his gun m the darkness, intending merely to frighten, away the figure. Accused and ■ deceased were on friendly terms, and accused bore a good character. After he discovered the mistake made he did all that, a respectable- man could do, evont'ia»r giving himself up to the police. Ihc accused iy the course of. evidence, Stnt fi ll V'-if' ,vh ™ '"' sa,v tho d;,rk oM«ct en the hill, he called out: "Who are you, friend?" J] o felt-afraid, and, as no answer was received, he discharged his gun at random without putting it to his shoulder, his intention being to frighten tho apparition. He thought that it was ■tho.spirit of some dea(l or on murderous intent .- Cross-examined by Mr. Tole, tho accused *?l d M bnt i the K,lost »'«"•}•' was not an' afterthought, lie had (old Hγ. Gilmour ll " slm m tUe ia > af * r .bject^fa^? 1 "^ this Accused: When I shot at it I thought it was. a ghost. His Honour: Didn't you tell us you d^d frHHen "t? bUt °" lY Wantcd to 'Accused: Tes. I pointed my gun at the object and fired to frighten it A juryman: When you didn't get a reply to your challenge did it not occur to you that there was a deaf and dumb person in the district? Accused: No. If was at such a late hour, and deceased was never out on tho hill at that time before .In addressing the jury, Mr. Heed renewed the circumstances surroundin" tho incident, and remarked that, though it. seemed ridiculous to the European mind in the twentieth century to have faith in ghosts and spirits, old traditions died hard with the Maoris, and it was difficult in one or two generations to eradicate beliefs and superstitions handed down through many years. Counsel submitted that the whole of tho circumstances supported the probability of accused's story. It was a lamentable case of misadventure. After his Honour's summing up, the jury returned a verdict of "Not guilty," end prisoner was discharged.