LATER NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, 24 September 1878, Page 3

LATER NEWS.

In yesterday morning's N. Z. Times a number of telegrams are published froT^fue Government officials to the KKativo Minister regarding the inui■^der at Mahoumakia. From these we W learn that at the inquest held on I Friday cm tiie body of M'Lean, a verdict of wilful murder against some person unknown was returned. Suspicion points to a Maori named Hirohi, a Waikato native, who is said to have fled into that refugo for .murderers— -the King country. A vvarruiif aa* V-ou issued for the

I arrest of Hirohi, and a constable who knows him seat off to arrest the supposed murderer. No ovidonco throwing light on the perpetrator was elicited from the survey party at the inquest beyond the fact that some three weeks previously there had j b:en a slight quarrel with the i natives about pigs and a dog, which a European of the party charged liirohi with stealing. The evidence given of Hirohi was merely hearsay, and to the effect that he had leen heard to say (not by the witness) some time previously that he would kill M'Lean, the brother of the deceased, and further, that some natives had stated to witness' mother that Hirohi had told them that he had gone to the survey camp and had a quarrel with the cook, who had fired at him ; that he (Hirohi) had returned the fire, and shot M'Lean dead. The affair has caused considerable interest, owing to the survey of the confiscated lands (Waimate Plains) now going on. It is thought by many that political significance is to be attached to the murder upon that account. Mr. Wray, of the A. C. Force, says: — "I am of opinion that the deed, if committed by a native at all, is of no political significance, and was not done with the intention of disturbing the survey, but was probably the act of an individual actuated by personal motives, and carried out without the approval or consent of the tribe " Mr. Woon, Native Officer, says . — " It seems to me rather to look like a simple murder, although the matter looks suspicious as coupled with the survey of confiscated land." Eight chiefs of the Ngarauru tribe, originally owners of the land, on Sunday sent the Hon. Mr Sheehan a letter regarding the murder, in which they said : — " We are very dark about this evil news. We want to know why this murder has been committed by that man, because that man was, so far as the Ngarauru were concei'ned, a madman. The murderer belonged to Waikato. "Mr Sheehan, had we been at Waitotara, we would have caught that man, but we, the chiefs who who have the management of affairs, are here in Wellington. "We shall send telegrams to the Maori people, requesting them to apprehend that murderer. " Mr Sheehan, send our woids to the Press, so that the Europeans may ! see that we, the Ngarauru, who are ! here, are very dark about this news of a murder having been committed."