A SENSATIONAL CHARGE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2142, 6 January 1881, Page 3

A SENSATIONAL CHARGE.

[Bi Telegraph.] [from the own oobbkspondbht of thb “ PBEBS.”J WELLINGTON, January 5, A person named Simeon, the husband of a Taranaki Maori woman, wrote to the “ Times ” this morning as follows : —“ I desire to call public attention to the brutality perpetuated upon some of the Maoris during their imprisonment, and to demand that an investigation and enquiry should be made to determine tho truth of the following, as related to mo to-day :—One poor old man (one of the two years’ batch) was worked so hard that he fell back, and in spite of hie entreaties for a little rest when exhausted by lifting heavy barrows piled up with stones (I write with shame in a Christian country that such things should occur) was kicked and struck with a rifle, and told that if he did not work he would be put in tho black hole. In his misery ho cried out—‘ Put mo anywhere as long as my bones can rest; I am not long for this world and in tho black hole lie was put, and taken from thence to the Hinemoa. Another young follow (one of tho Bell Block batch), sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor, and to find bail ; or twelve months’ imprisonment tells me that when two months expired he told the gaoler that his time was up for hard work. Ho was thereupon taken before Mr Watt, and ordered to go to work, ond upon refusing, on the ground that his sentence had expired, he was ordered seven days’ solitary confinement. But mark this; be says ho was kept for throe weeks and only allowed a quarter of an hour a day to obtain fresh air. Mo was again ordered to go to work and refused, Mr Brown being tho Visiting Jus-

tioe, he was taken before him and asked why he did not obey the Governor of the Gaol, and, as in the former instance, he claimed exemption. Though hardly creditable he eaya he was marched back to his solitary cell and confined for four weeks, making seven weeks of solitary confinement. My God ! Lot people picture to themselves the mental misery endured during that term. He wont away a boy and comes back quite aged. A further injustice is that in July, 1879, he was sentenced two months’ hard labor and twelve months in default of bail. This is now January, 1881, being three month* more than his term of imprisonment.” On this being brought under notice, the Government ordered a preliminary examination to take place previous to the departure of the steamer Hinemoa, which was fixed for this evening. Mr Halse, the Native Court Judge, and Captain Hume, Inspector of Prisons, wore commissioned to conduct the investigation, and Simeon was requested to bo present to give evidence. The evidence was not such as to bear out the charges made, but on the contrary the men generally expressed themselves satisfied with the treatment they had received. The poor old man referred to by Simeon flatly denies having made any such statement as alleged, and when told that it was in the papers replied, “ Paper mo like tell lies make paper sell.” Messrs Hume and Halse have not yet made a report to the Government on the result of the investigation, hut the whole affair is a trumped up tale for the purpose of exciting sympathy with the Natives and feeling against the Government.