SHOCKING TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1926, Page 2

SHOCKING TRAGEDY

WOMAN TO LLED—AIAN SERIOUSLY INJURED. BY TKM'XItACII —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT, HAMILTON, Alateh 9. A shocking tragedy occurred at To Kowliai Settlement about eight miles from Hamilton this afternoon. A Maori woman. Ngapeti Koti Rawiri, was killed. Her husband, Peter ltawiri, is in the hospital, and is not expected to live. A Deceased, her husband, her brother Koti Eliau, another native, stayed the previous night at Ngaruawhia Pali, leaving this morning for Te Kowliai Koi.

The party, when about a mile from the destination, arrived a't ‘ a wliarc. Peter Rawiri went outside and called his wife. Shortly afterwards Elian, who remained in the whare, heard an explosion, followed hv footsteps approaching and receding from the wlmre. Going outside, he saw Peter Rawiri falling near a body lying oil the ground. An investigation showed the woman’s body badly shattered by ;atl explosion, and the man’s hand IdtMVii off at the wrist, and also his throat fearfuhy gashed with, a rar.or that was lying behind his head.

A neighbour communicated with and summoned the police, who brought the body into Hamilton, and conveyed the man to the hospital, where his condition is considered hopeless. The cause of the tragedy is a mystery. The party all were friendly and there bad been no qaui'relliiig. There was no evidence of liquor. The man had been working in another district and returned home onlv the previous day. Deceased leaves two or three children.