A MAORI KILLED BY A EUROPEAN AT WANGANUI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 56, 24 July 1862, Page 1 (Supplement)

A MAORI KILLED BY A EUROPEAN AT WANGANUI.

(From the Wanganui Chronicle, July 17.) A very unfortunate occurrence took ' t place on Monday afternoon, about six miles up the Wanganui river. A settler there of the name of William Lister heard some dogs about his place, and having had several pigs killed some time previously by Maori dogs, went out with his gun, a double barrelled fowling piece, to have a shot at any that he might see prowling about. He put’;a bullet" into one barrel for a shot at a dog, and some small shot into the other in case he found any pigeons. He had not gone far when he met a Maori man and boy carrying a pier, which they had just killed. He claimed the pig as his, and the Maoris assisted him to carry it to his house. He threatened to take out a summons against them, but not being able to talk Maori intelligibly, proposed that they should go to a Mr. Jackson’s, his brother-in-law, who lives in the neighborhood and can speak the Maori language, in order to have a talk over the matter. Thither they proceeded, accompanied by Mrs. Lister carrying an infant. The Maori, who had a stick in his hand with an old file tied on the end of it, persisted in walking behind Lister, and they had not gone far, when he said to the young lad “ Let us spear him.” “ No,” said the lad, “ that would be wrong.” Immediately after, he drove the spear into Lister’s back. The w r ounded man turned round, and fired his gun at the Maori. It missed fire, and the Maori immediately rushed upon Lister, caught him by the hair of his head, and dragged him to the ground. A struggle took place between the two. The Maori boy having first dropped a hatchet he had in his hand, threw himself on the combatants with the view, as he says, of separating them ; but Mrs. Lister, thinking he intended to assist his friend, took him by the hair, and drew him off with some difficulty, in one of her clutches bringing a handful of * hair out of the back of his bead. Lister succeeded in picking up the hatchet, with which he struck the Maori three blows on the side of the head, which killed him. The Maori fypy then ran off. A runanga was held shortly after, which decided that the Maori was in the wrong as the aggressor, and that he only received just retribution for intending to kill the pakeha. An inquest was held on the body yesterday, but was adjourned till to-day. A meeting of the natives interested is also to be held in the Court-house, to-day. We believe the garrison were on the qui vive on Tuesday, in the expectation from the exaggerated reports abroad that their services might possibly be required. Fortunately there was no display of force.