TAURANGA.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 39, 23 September 1867, Page 234

TAURANGA.

MURDER OF Mb A. J. CAMPBELL A MILITARY SETTLER. INQUEST ON THE BODY. [Condensed from the Tauranga Record, 31st Aug.] lit our last issue it was stated that, the * skeletons of a man, a horse, and a foal had been discovered near the road to Oropi (Europe), believed to be the remains of a military settler named Campbell, who had been missing shortly before the commencement of hostilities in January last. Immediately on receipt of the information,' a party went out to the place and collected i the remains 'which they sent to Te Papa by water. An inquest was held on Saturday, Aug. 24th, before Colonel HarringtoD, coroner. The enquiry, lasted allthe day, and the evidence, was to the f Uq wing effect Henry Tauy Clarke, Resident Magistrate, stated, that early in the month of January last, Mr Eransiian, a retired sergeant in the Ist Waikato Reguneh made him ab-

qnainted with the fact that the deceased had proceeded to occupy his land, had been absent a sufficient time to cause alarm. Witness represented the circumstances to the military authorities, urging the necessity of a search, which suggestion wa9 not adopted. Communications were last week received from Mr Franshan, also from Mr McGill, stating that a man named Stanger had given information of one of the natives at Hairini, knowing of the murder of a European, and where his remains were to be found. Upon this, witne&s sent for : Ranapai, and offered him a reward for the discovery of the remains. Ranapai returned two days afterwards saying that he had found them, and offering to show the place. The following day witness with Colonel Harrington, Captain Skeet, Mr McGill, and a number of natives went to the place indicated, and found there -the skeleton of a horse and foal. The horse had a tether rope coiled round its neck, and a saddle on, the girths of which were buckled. One of its legs were broken. There was a mark in the saddle as if it had been struck with a. bullet. A few yards off was found the skeleton of a man, with his face downwards. It had on a belt with a sheath, and a gold diggers belt, and lying beside it were a knife, purse, pencil, and match box. Two bullets, one a round one, and the other an Enfield ball, which had been fired, were picked up near. The vertebrae of the skeleton had been smashed, apparently by a bullet. The remains were then collected and sent into Te Papa. On searching the gold digger’s belt, eight £1 notes and a bank deposit receipt for £SO were found, and in the purse a £1 note, 2s. 6d., and a copper coin. There was also a ration ticket, and another document, ap parently a receipt. Thomas Franshan deposed to having, about the 6th January, sold a mare and foal to Campbell, who was about proceeding to his laud at Waimapu. The mare and foal were paid for by cheque on the Bank of New Zealand. As deceased had only taken a small supply of provisions with him, and did not return within several days, witness became alarmed for his safety, and communicated his fears to the Resident Magistrate. Within the last week he learned that a man, named Stanger, had received information from a native that a European had been murdered, and this intelligence he made Mr Clake acquainted with. He recognised the hal ter produced as the property of Mr Campbell, and the handwriting of the document produced as his own. He ascertained in Auckland that the £SO was still lying in the Bank to the credit of the deceased.

Thomas McGill deposed to a conversation with Stanger, in which the latter informed him that he knew the native who had murdered Campbell. William Stanger gave evidence that a native at Hairini informed him of a European having been tomahawked by the fcfaubaus, and his head taken off. He said he knew the native who had done it. It was before the fight at Whakamarama. Witness had lived with the native three weeks, and would know him again. He had never seen the natives of Hairini making bullets

Te Ranapai, interpreted by Mr. Warbrick, said that he was told by some of his people that a European had been murdered at Ake Ake, by the Ngatiporou tribe, who had cut off the head and taken it away. This he told to Mr ClaTke, who said he would send out to look for the body, but witness replied that he would go and find it, which he. did, and returned acquainting Mr. Clarke. When he found the remains, he told the natives who were with him not to touch it but to leave every thing as they found it, which was done. He believed that an armed party had fallen upon the murdered man, because they found several Maori bullets. The natives had numbers of Enfield bullets.

The inquest was adjourned to the following day, when

Henry Tacy Clarke, Resident Magistrate, gave the following additional evidence. That on Monday, he, with several gentlemen, visited the place where the remains were found, and searched on lot 26 for a whare or traces of one, but could not find any. On lot 33 a bullet was found which had been fired from a rifle against a hard substance, and also some pieces of cartridge were picked up near where the corpse was lying. Found several old tracks made by bare feet in the direction of Oropi. He had previovs to the 18th January received intimation that there whs danger in that quarter, and reported it on the 6th or Bth. There was an Aukati established by Hakaraia for the Ngaiiporou, and a whare, which the troops burned, was on the boundary {of this. The body was found about a mile and a half on the native side.

Mr Clarke, in answer to Mr Norris, said that the provocation the natives received was, that Government were determined to survey confiscated land. Dr. Henry, Ist Waikato Regiment, testified to having inspected the skeletons, some of the bones of which were wanting, and to the fracture of the vertebrae which he said was to all appearance produced by a rifle ball, and was sufficient to cause instantaneous death. After a short deliberation, the jury returned the following verdictThut the remains of the subject of this inquest are the remains of Alfred J. Campbell, Mili tary Settler, of the Tauranga District, and further, that the said Alfred J. Campbell was wilfully murdered on or about the 7th January, 1867, by sou.e person or persons of the aboriginal race of New Zealand, to Che jurors at present unknown, on or near the road from Waimapu\to Oropi, in the] aforesaid district of Tauranga.”