CAPTURE OF RUA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2738, 5 April 1916, Page 6

CAPTURE OF RUA

MANA DEFINITELY BROKEN

" SHOOT ME, I AM FINISHED "

(Bj Telegraph.—Prw -Wsocintinn.)

Auckland, April 4. In half an hour Rua's mana was definitely broken. That ho realised. He repeatedly said to bis captors after his arrest ;■ "Shoot me, I am finished bofore my time." .His dojection was marked, but he heard the- news of his youngest sou's death with comparative calmness. ■ '. •

The Maoris had expected the police party, and knew its every move from the time it left Rotorua. The events of the day showed conclusively that .irnied resistance was intended. The position at the cross-roads at the end of the pa was a veritable ambush. Bad generalship cost Rua' dearly,, and saved the police heavy casualties. '■ Immediately the wounded, including tlio two Natives, were brought in, they ware attended to by Dr. Brewster, surgeon to the expedition. The meetingliouso was converted into a hospital, and bore Rua, and the other prisoners sere confined. The patients . spent a comfortable night.

A search instituted by the police brought to light about thirty Winchester repeaters and shot-guns, also a considerable quantity of ammunition, inc)uci..ig Mauser and Snider Cartridges, besides .303 rifle cartridges. The members of the expedition displayed great zeal, energy, and courage. Tlidie still lies ahead of them t!i« arduous task of carrying the wounded back to Ruatahuna, 25 miles, through' bush and over the mountain.

Tho condition of the four wounded constables is satisfactory; all are making good progress.. In all probability it null be three or four days beiore Rua's stronghold-is evacuated. In the meantime it is under guard day and night. Commissioner Cullen does not anticipate turtlinr trouble, though all precautions have been taken, as 50'ne of Rua's followers tooTT to the bush armed.

Of the wounded policemen, Constable Ne : l is a young man, about 24 years of age, and unmarried. He joined the Force six months ago, and has been stationed at Auckland.

Constable Ebbett. is unmarried, 27 yens of age, and joined the Force in 1914. ' He was. stationed in Auckland until five months ago, when he *as transferred to Hamilton. His relatives li?e at Pahiatua. Constable Wright, of Huntly, is a married man with a young family. . Ho has been in the Force since 1906, and ho took a prominent part in recovering tho bodies in the Huntly Mine disaster. He' was also on police duty in Waihi at the time of the Waihi strike. Constable M'Cowan has been with th? police since 1908, and was stationed itt Stratford. . RUA'S BEGINNING PROPHET OF AVEATHER AND CROPS., A correspondent who lived in fhe district between Gisborne and Rotorua, and saw a goo'd deal of Rua and his followers several years ago, supplies the following particulars of- the Maori prophet:— ; "The story is that 'Rua, in the beginning, had a good deal ■ci luck in prophesying regarding,the weather and Maori crops. Later on he developed a turn for oratory, an accomplishment to which the Maori mind is always ready to. bow to.-: Encouraged by his success,' ,he'";boldly;'*claitoed'-"to b'e -a;"- prophet, in fact I think his claim was that he was the Messiah. 0 At any rate he soon gathered a number of followers about him. He had three wives with him when I first met him on the track, each mounted on a grey horse, and his secretary; a small hunch-back, completed the party of the elect; behind them rode about 60 followers, long-haired, and riding in single file. They carried on conversation by yelling their remarks at the top of their voices. Rua must have .had a strong personality, for he induced his followers to go out shearing, bushfoiling, and grass-sowing, and they handed their earnings 'over to him, Rua giving eat)U one enough for his wants. These Maoris were good workers and loyal to Rua throughout vln shearing shed or paddock they objected to. any slighting remarks being made about him. "On-one occasion Rua got a big crowd of Maoris on the beaoh near r Gisborne for the purpose, of seeing him walk oil the sea. After haranguing them ho. asked if anyone, doubted that he I could walk on the water. All expressed their' firm belief- in his powers. Then Rua said it would be a waste of time to do it. since they all believed he could.

''He had a circular temple or church at Mangapohatu, and whenever he felt like it lie would ring a bell and address his people from a platform built out at the side of the temple. I believe he sometimes entered the temple; but very few others did. Quito a number of people used to ride out there at tfimes from Gisborne. Rua received the rangatira. pakeha with much dignity trad ceremony, but the common pakeha got a poor reception, and had to pay through the nose for accommodation and stores. Hangapohatu is 70. miles from Gisborne,. so. the visitors had to take what they could get. "I believe that in his prime Rua bad a good effect on his people. Those 1 saw were clean, healthy-living savages, and, at that time, Rua was against drink being taken into his village. He had quite a lot of. country cleared and grasssd round Mangapohatu snd .'sheep running on it. Four years ago" he had eight wives. When they rode out in state they, all carried umbrellas, and if any settlers or other .spectators laughed at the queer retinue, die Bwashbuclclers in the bodyguard became most threatening. Altogether, ho was a remarkable fakir, and no doubt his luck changed when, he styled him,sdf the Maori Kaiser, claiming to. he an emissary of the Germans, who would eventually give the Maori back his land that had been bought by the pakeha."

P. & T. SERVICE

[LIST OF IMPORTANT PROMOTIONS Hie following provisional appointments in the Post and Telegraph Department have been made by tho Public Service Commissioner:— A. Gibbs, staff-engineer, Wellington, to be telegraph engineer, Duncdin. , C. S. Plank, assistant telegraph engineer, Clvristctmrch, to be telegraph engineer, Christchurch. J. C. Williamson, chief clerk, G.P.0., to be chief postmaster, Auckland. A. T. Marknumn, superintendent of staff, G.P.0., to ho chief clerk, G.P.O. G. M'Namara, staff clerk, G.P.0., to bo superintendent of staff, G.P.O. J. Robertson, assistant staff clerk, to be senior clerk, staff division. G. A. Empson, chief postmaster, Hokitika, -to be chief postmaster, Thames. A. E. M'Grcgor, chief clerk, Nelson, to bo chief postmaster, Hokitika. J. 0. Dale, chief clerk, Invercargill, to bo chief postmaster, Westport. F. B. Rout, clerk, Auckland, to be stamp clerk, Auckland.