FEARFUL TRAGEDY AT AMURI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 99, 20 March 1863, Page 4

FEARFUL TRAGEDY AT AMURI.

TWO NATIVES KILLED AND TWOSEIUOUSLYWOUNDED

[From tho JVellinglon Independent, March 10.]

On Friday last, some rumors of a series of murders at Amuri, near K:n Koras were bruited abroad, hut we were unable to obtain full and reliable particulars until Sat urday morning, when Captain Davidson, of the schooner Randolph, who had recently arrived from tho Kai Koras, furnished us with full details of the horrible occurrence. 'Hie following are t lie particulars as prepared from the Captain's statement. The schooner Randolph left Kai Koras about ten days and just before her departure the tragedy took place. About 70 persons in all wore collected at Amuri, in expectation of the arrival of a steamer from Lyttelton, which was to take away 500 bales wool. Some of the party were Europeans, and the rest wore mainly Maories belonging to the neighborhood. The first intelligence of the event was brought to Mr. Fyfle’s station on Friday morning the 27th February, by a chief named Saul, who had galloppcd from Amuri, a distance of 18 miles, -without drawing bridle. From his statement it would appear that 7 of the natives slept in a hut together, and that, on that morning, about 2 o'clock, when all were hushed in sleep, one of their number, a Maori named Duff,arose softly from behind his companions, and, creeping stealthily in the darkness, emerged from the hut, reached the cook’s fire-place, aud possessed himself of a spade. Armed with this weapon, which was worn sharp at the edges by use, he crept cautiously back to where his unconscious countrymen lay, and, fearful to relate, contrived before they could defend themselves, to kill two of them. It is almost incredible, but nevertheless perfectly true, that he literally severed the heads from the bodies of his victims. The spade was sharp—the objects of his attack laid prostrate and the foul deed was accomplished in a style which would have done credit to an English hcaasman of the olden time, or a modern Chinese executioner in constant practice. The next victim was partially awake ere attacked, and instinctively, blanket in hand, uplifted his arm to ward off the blow. Crash! it came down on his temple inflicting a fearful cut, and driving the blanket deep into the wound. Stunned and bleeding, the unfortunate man fell, so seriously injured that ho is not expected to recover. This triple immolation seemed but to add fresh fury to the human butcher. Like a Malay running a muck, tho blood of his victims only seemed to whet his appetite for more. The previous events had occurred amidst perfect silence. The murderer never spoke—tho night was pitch dark, and beyond the dull, crunching sound of the blows, each of which, it may almost be said, sent a human being into eternity nought had occurred to break the stillness of the night or arouse the sleepers to a sense of their impending danger But as he attacked a fourth of their number tho noise roused tho others, but ere the assassin was secured, he had inflicted some ghastly wounds on the man’s shoulder and tlimh A hasty council of war was held, Duff was lashed to a tree, and the chief Kai Kora decided to inflict summary punishment by spearing hint at once. Tina decision would have been carried into olfect, but for the Europeans, who by this time had assembled, and insisted that the prisoner should be given up to the nearest magistrate. A message was accordingly despatched for G. Ken no, Esq., J.P., who shortly afterwards arrived,

and the latest intelligence at the time of the Mandolph’s departure, was that'Duff was kept in. custody.

As usual amongst the Maoris when a death takes place, great preparations were made to have a taiiffi or cry over the remains, and boats and horses were immediately in requisition to convey the other Maories to assist in the celebration. To our readers at home, there will bo a touch of the burlesque in this final proceeding. It is an invariable custom, however, not only in cases of death amongst themselves, but sometimes a howl of lamentation is indulged over dead animals, and generally this lachrymose performance is resorted to when they wish to relieve their overcharged feelings.

We have no further particulars of this tragedy or of the motives of the murderer. It was not drink—because there was none there; and so whether it was insanity, jealousy, love, or revenge, that prompted the deed, for the present remains a mystery.