Defying the Law.

Manawatu Herald, 10 March 1898, Page 3

Defying the Law.

MAORI WOMEN TO THE RESCUE. A very exciting adventure (writes the Auckland Herald's Onewhere correspondent) was witnessed on an island in the Waikato River, opposite this place, last Saturday. A Maori had got heavily into debt to a storekeeper for goods. To pay the debt did not seem to enter the native's head, and, as he did not appear to . have any property, for a long time the tradesman was in a troubled state 'of mind. At length it was learned that our native had brought s veral head of cattle, and that he had put them on the island to graze. On the law being put in motion to recover the price of the goods, a warrant was issued to seize the Maori's property. Two constables and several supernumeraries, with a steam launch, were despatched to carry out the order of the Court. Then the fun began. The native, with shrewd forethought, had col- ; lected all the heavy draught wahinea of the tribe, all prepared and determined to resist the law's attempt to seiz* the cattle. These dusky Amazons claimed the right to detain the stock, as they did not belong to the defaulting native at all, but belonged to hia grandmother. This argument did not convince the police, who endeavoured to carry out their instructions. It was then seen that " a policeman's lot is not a happy one." One of the constables soon found himself iv the water, with three fat, heavy Maori women on top of him, who would soon have drowned him had assistance not been at hand. The other policeman was almost in as bad a plight. The police then retired on their steamer for reinforcprnents, when the island was again stormed and besieged, j After the island bad -been taken, it was found that the cattle could only be taken away after Iheso warlike females were rc-m'vpd from the island, an order which the sergeant of police gave, but was not so easy of execution, as ibe wom< n were hf-avy. strong, and. had oiled tbpir bodies with large quantities of shark oil, and as they bad but scanty clothing on, it waß hard to retain a grip of ■•: them. However, perseverance won

ru« A a <n «M/i r *'""'* *bles Hobson and the day, and uuu..- .. , m-edit and McGovern deserve macn *- for the great courage, gallantry, and bravery displayed.