MAORI EXPLOSION TRAGEDY.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1926, Page 3

MAORI EXPLOSION TRAGEDY.

MYSTERY CLEARED UP. JEALOUSY THE CAUSE. [by telegraph—pkk press association.] HAMILTON, March 10. While dying in the Waikato Hospital, Peter Rawiri, made a statement to the police, completely clearing up the mystery id' the tragic explosion at To Papa on Tuesday. Peter Rawiri admitted that lie was prompted by jealousy, lie bad deliberately blown up his wife and cut Ids own throat. When the inquest on the. dead woman, Xgapeti Koti llnwiri, was resumed at the courthouse tin's morning. Constable Gavin gave evidence that lie was on duty at the hospital on March 11 tli at 3 p.m. watching Rawiri. Suddenly tlie deceased called him over and asked witness how his child was getting on. Witness replied: “All right,” and asked deceased what hail, happened to his wife. Rawiri replied: “Oh, she very bad woman; she been lying with another man.” Witness then asked how the explosion occurred and deceased replied that he had placed two sticks of gelignite outside the wlutre using some fuse. “You blew her tin?” witness asked. “ Yes,” replied Pa will, who was quite rational at the time. The Coroner returned a verdict that the woman died as the result of injuries wilfully inflicted by her husband with the intent of causing her death by means of an explosion of gelignite while ill a fit of jealousy.

The verdict returned on Pawiri was that he committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor.