TE KOOTI.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 July 1924, Page 8

TE KOOTI.

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET. (By “Fifty-One.”. It is just over half a century to-day t-ha-t Te Kooti and 'a party of Maori prisoners escaped from ‘the - Chatham Islands in the -schooner Rifleman. The news that-' first came through was meagre, owing to the fact that- there was no direct communication with the islands. However, it became known in due course- that Te Kooti and his fellow-prisoners had commandeered the schooner and compelled the captain and crew to- sail for New Zealand. A landing was effected in about a fortnight on the East Coast, and the* colonial forces we re at once sent to endeavour to recapture the band. The escape took place on July 4, 1868, and on August 8 Lieut.-Colonel Whitmore came in touch with the rebels, an indecisive engagement being fought in . the gorge of the R.ua-ke Tere. Then followed the regrettable massacre at Poverty. Bay of thirty-two Europeans on November 10. This act caused a feeling of dismay throughout New Zealand, and, whether immediately following this or later on makes no difference, but the- fact remains that a price was put- upon Te Kooti’s head, and strenuous efforts were made to capture him; all of no avail,, however. On November 4 and December 3 there were engagements between friendly natives- and Te Kootiites at Patuatahi, Poverty Bay. After a -siege of six days, on January 5, 1869, the colonial forces under Colonel Whitmore and friendly natives under Major Ropa-ta succeeded in capturing Ngatapa pa (Poverty Bay). .To Kooti escaped, but more than 136 rebels are. said to have been killed, and the others fled. Te Kooti now turned the tallies, for on April 1(), 1860, he attacked a- pa at Moha-ka-, kilting 10 friendly natives and several Europeans in the neighbourhood. On May 6. 1860, Te Kooti was defeated by the capture of Ahikereru and Oamarij Teangi pas in the Waiwera country. .In October, 1860, 74 prisoners from the hands of Te Kooti and Titnkowa.ru- were sentenced to death alter trial for treason, but the sentences of 73 were commuted to penal servitude for various terms; it is so long ago that .1 forget what- became' of the odd man—whether lie was hanged or eventually granted a pardon. In January, 1870, 300 friendly natives under Topia. and 300 under Major Kemp started up the Wanganui River in pursuit, of To Kooti, who retreated into Ihe Waiwera' country; and on the *2-)lh of the same month the Tnpapa pa, occupied by To Kooti, was captured. On .March 25 Major Kemp’s native force captured the position held by Te Kooti at Maraet-alii. Lrewera, and 10 reliefs were killed and 70 taken prisoner; lint the man who w;i« responsible for all the trouble escaped with 20 followers. T n July. 1870. a further batch of Te Kooti"s hand were sentenced to death, but the .sentences ware again commuted to penal servitude, and finally full pardon. To Kooti ran the gauntlet for many years, but always managed to evade capture, although he had several narrow escapes. Even after a free pardon bad been granted to this notorious Maori, he never Jett too safe, because at least one person had taken a vow to shoot him on sight. That person f\\ ilson) was rescued as a. babv ■ liter the massacre, his parents having been slam. However. Te Kooti lived a good age. and died a natural death. When one looks back- and reflects that the Maori in 1808 could hardlv he termed c ivilised, and that a. bitter feud had existed between the races for many yea its, the so-called massacres were onlv what might be expected. J n realitv the capture of the Rifleman at the Gnat-ham. Islands was a piece of generalship that would be highly applauded at the present da-v; what followed was purely Maori warfare What mwr may be said o'f Maori atrocities, their methods, will hear more than favourable comparison with'those of the Germans m the recent war