DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by telegraph—nr.it press association.] A DOUBLE TRACEDY. -MAORI SHOOTS IMS WIFE. A UCKLANI), Jan. 91. Mercer was yesterday the scene of a dual tragedy. A middle-aged Maori, Mi Rapann. in a fit of .jealousy murdered Moo Rapana and then committed suicide. lie left his wluire at about eight o'clock and did not return until lxv tween ten ami eleven, lie tin'll walked into the wluire with a slmt-gun in his hand and pointing the gun at his wife’s head he said: I am going (o shoot you." This threat was immediately carried info effect and the woman fell mortally wounded. She managed to crawl from the where hut expir'd hist outside the building. The woman was shot on Ihe left side of the. face, tlie shots passing through tin jaw and coining oul mi the right side ol the neck. Rapana immediately stepped outside the wham, reloaded the gun and shot himself under (he heart, death being practically instantaneous. fie fell close beside the body of iiis wife. The murder oi the woman was witnessed by her sister and her eldesl daughter, a girl of 21. So swiftly did Rapana carry oul his threat of murder I hat neither of the eye-witnesses were able to left a hand to prevent the deed. The scene of the crime is a lonely spot, two miles from Mercer on the South Rank of the river where Rapana lived in a wluire with his wife and family at this somewhat isolated point. There has been no sign of a disagreement between the limn and his wife, although it was common knowledge that Rapana was of a somewhat jealous disposition. lie is said not to have enjoyed the best of . health, being at times a victim to asthma. The view prevails that worrying over his malady may have tended in some measure to have caused mental distress.

Rapana had lor some time been working at Pukekohe as a potato digger and this appears to have been his usual employment. Ii is stated Unit his wile had always refused to leave her family to go to Pukekohe, hut how far this may have added to the man's Monies is mil known. The Rapamis had lived m the district for about nine years it here they were well respected by the Maoris ot the locality. They bore excellent eharaeters for hone-ty and the woman's conduct at all limes could in mi way justify the jealous feelings which apparently inlluemvd her husband. Rapana s age i- estimated at 1 s years, his wife being sonic eight years his junior. They had six children. Roth deceased were well educated from a Maori standpoint. Pakia Aloutnu, a si-ler of the murdered woman, states that she stayed with her sister at. the wliave on the night prior to the tragedy. Wi Rapana returned from Pukekohe on Tuesday and her brother-in-law was perfecily sohei. She could advance lio reason why In- should have committed the deed. RANK OF N X. AVIJ.I.TNHTON. January 21. Richard \Y. Ribbs. who recently resigned from the position of Chief Auditor id’ lh" Bank of New Zealand had announced himself ns a candidate for tin lacaut directorship.

PC'1101)I TEA) ll.fi: IN TROFIM.E NELSON. Jan. 25. Hubert Reginald IfoM-iv. n . aged 27. single, s' 0..1 1.-ada-r. pleaded guilty-to three charges oi indecent assault on boys while camping out. He was commiiti’d to AVellingloii Ktipivnia t’o ll rf for sentence. MR 11. HOLLAND ?!..! ■AA'ESTI’OIU, Jap :.J Ml- 11. Holland M.IL was I .(idly cheered yesterday, when in speaking at a local wnlersidors’ picnic, he ivI'crred to the iiritisb Labour Party's accession to office as one of the greatest events in tlie history of the British Umpire. In the war atmosphere election of I!)I8, lie said MacDonald. Snowden, Trevelyan, ami .lowett had sobered defeat. The whole fury of the storm of slander then directed against them was met with confidence and cheerfulness. 10-day, the man most slandered oi all. was the l’rimc Minister ol Britain, with the others lor his trusted colleagues, leaders of the only party with a policy capable of making and extricating the Empire from the economic slough into which post war conditions bail plunged it. Mr MacDonald bad some time ago declared that the principal portfolios in a Labour Cabinet would he those of Agriculture and foreign Allairs. Consistent with that declaration ho himself had taken the l portfolio ol foreign Affairs. The Labour I’arty’s manifesto issued just prior to tlie December elections, provided for dealing with the problem of unemployment on the basis of national schemes ol productive work, and adequate maintenance where work was not provided : the development ol agriculture; laud ielorin and international relationships making for pence; a capital levy to reduce the national debt, thus making possible the abolition of food du-

ties. and amusement tax. cmporatious profit tax as well a- to provide money for necessary social services; the public ownership and control of mines, railway service and electrical power station; education, care and protection of children; provision for widowed mothers, the aged, the invalided etc. It remained to lie seen whether the present Parliament, weiild permit these el-cat changes to be made, but one thing was certain, especially il d should be found possible to achieve adult suffrage. Tn the meantime, at next election the British people would give the Labour party a majority over the two other parties.

THE TROTTING SCANDAL. CHRISTCHURCH. Jan. 25. Liter information received by the police has led to another remand in the trotting case. The live men arrested were liefore the Court this morning. William AYilliainsovi. AYillmm Percy Capes. Charles ITopwood Capes. James Golding, and AYalter Medley Hulston charged with conspiring to defraud Southland Racing Club by entering tlie trotting horse named A i--1,0 Lincoln in the Oreti harness trot n t the meeting on Jan. 2nd. under the false name of Look Out. AVilhamson was charged separately with attempting to obtain from the Club the sum of C 153 by representing the horse AYillie Lincoln as the trotting horse known as Look Out. Chief Detective Cameron asked for a remand till 1-el.. l<t at Christchurch. Air A. L. f o ns. who appeared for nil the accused objected. and stated the police had informed the magistrate m Dunedin that the final remand would l* to Dinted n on Jan. 31st.. when the police would be prepared to go on with the ease. The Chief detective said they had n> reived later information that morning and in accordance with the wisli0f the Dunedin police asked toi a remand till Friday next, "hen the date of hearing at Dunedin would probably l>e fixed. The Magistrate granted the remand. Afr Hobbs asked for bail and in view of the number of rtnnincls requested

tho amount should ho as light as possible. The Magistrate said the seriousness of the offence and not the number of remands was the test of the question of bail. Accused would be admitted to bail of £2OO and one surety of £2OO. On the second charge against Williamson a second surety would he necessary. Mr Hobbs asked if Golding could he admitted on his own recognisance. He has received hail on those terms at Dunedin. Tin' Magistrate said he must- find a surety. SALV ATION ARMY. CHRISTCHURCH. Jan. 2d. Major Barries, in charge of the Salvation Army Prison Onto Home, Addington, has retired after thirtyfive years of service. He was tormer|v in charge ol Pakaton and Rotoroa. Major T). McAulay succeeds him tit tho Prison Onto Home.