NELSON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 124, 15 June 1863, Page 2

NELSON.

Our (Wellington Independent) dates are to the 23rd inst;— l The Rev. H. M. Turton, the Incumbent of Christchurch, Nelson, was tried at the Supreme Court, on the 20th inst., for the alleged commission of an unnatural offence. The witness Nash, his groom, was the accuser, and chief witness. He prevaricated very much in his evidence and called down several stern] reminders from the Judge. The Judge summed up strongly is favor of the accused. The Jury without retiring returned a verdict of Not Guilty. In the monthly summary of the Nelson Examiner there is some important information evidently to some extent “inspired;” relative to the recent Taranaki murders. We quote them now, as furnishing details we have not had before : “Not to mention the repeated cautions given by Europeans, there was scarcely a. native in the place who did not tell Sir George Grey what would happen. On the26th April, the day before the first ambush,. Hone Wetere informed him of the danger— r the answer was a jeer—“ You go to Tataraimaka, and if you are killed I will believe it.” Hone replied, “Well, then you keep your notion and I will keep my knowledge.” Again Sir George Grey was informed of a letter from Wi Kingi and Rewi telling" their allies not to delay their work—“Do not be long like the winter night, but short like that of summer.” These are samples of the many warnings which were met by the inquiry “ What cause have they for war ?” And they were continued up "to thejeve of the tragedy itself, possibly tillfthe very hour. That the Governor sincerely believed he was right in disregarding the ", shadows of the coming event cannot be doubted. 4 “ A redoubt has been formed of the brow of the hill above the Oakura river, as you approach from town, a point which will be familiar to all who know the beautiful scene of the late attack. The attack took place about three-quarters of a mile from this spot, the party of natives who had the duty of preventing the escape of the victims towards town were planted on this spot, and the third for cutting off the retreat on Tataraimaka were about as far off on the other or south-western side of the fatal place. “ It is rumoured that General Cameron has orders to take action, and active preparations are making for some •forward J movement. General Cameron's nerve and determination is absolutely relied on. He is known to have spared no pains to make himself master of the topography of the island, and to obtain a broad view of the struggle in which he is almost certainly entering. If a shade of anxiety is felt for his success, it is from the possibility that he may not choose to adopt a sufficiently light and rapid style of warfare.”

Takerei, the aboriginal native 'who committed the foul murder on Honiana Tu Mara by striking him on the head with a spade, as well as injuring two others so severely that*one died shortly afterwards, at a place called' Mikonui, about three miles north of the Amuri Blufi, has been tried at the assizes at Nelson, found guilty, and sentenced to death.

George Wentworth, well known in Wanganui in connection with a horse stealing case, has been tried at the same court for cattle stealing, found guilty, and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor.

Mukdek. —lt is my painful duty to announce that, on Saturday last, tbe body of Mr. William Grant, of the Pelorus Valley, was discovered lying in his garden, with a dreadful wound on his head, caused evidently by a blow from an axe. Mr. Grant lived on a small plot of laud nearly opposite the township of Havelock, and had not been seen for some days before the fact that he had been murdered was discovered. His body was found by a man who works for Mr. Manks, of the accommodation house at Havelock, and who having crossed the river in order to get firewood, proceeded to Mr. Grant’s garden, where he saw a body lying upon the ground, and on more examining it, found that it was Mr. Grant’s, and that it had a large deep wound passing almost through one side of the head, and downwards towards the jaw. An axe, with blood upon it, was lying near tbe body, and, not many feet dis-

tant, was a pool of blood which had been partially covered with earth. The murdered man’s pockets had been turned inside out and'the contents of a carpet bag in the house had evidently been hastily examined. A gun, and a few things which were in' the house had apparently not been touched.' It seemed, to the man who discovered, the body that Mr. Grant had been at work in his garden, and bad been there struck down. Information was at once sent to Picton in order that a Coroner’s inquest may be held. The murder is supposed to have been committed some four or five days before it was discovered. We are also informed that the mark of a naked foot print was seen near the body.—2oth May.