A Waori Court of Justice.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1660, 17 March 1886, Page 3

A Waori Court of Justice.

UNtf6mM J 6&LI%RE.

A SOLOMAN DISggSIJBSPT^ *H# MAORI PAH.

A case was heard last, week at the Mataweka Pah, befefd'Neja*- tolAjiatuy Esq, (as magistrate) and a committee, or iury, consisting of the following native ientlemenSaafoa&B •Tepfcrfe 1 t ; ; Paul Rophia, Edward and -Pane Pane, who had be£s empanelled for the occas-; Mr Wi te^o^Kutu^as %c .ipiaintiff : a»-d RongetafafiS^e Otimi tfca J SeifeE. ; daiits. -,«R^ r^.^,.^.,,^. The plaintiff, Who was not repreW'nted by counseJiUlfatud bin-case as.'to'lldw¥:< —That on t^pftfta,io,day, defendants had* stolen a pig », to w hira . (the plaintiff) ; J3kW%f'"#*^'v *&,#»*•• they had tioTO so with ,{* firm .knowledge that it was plaintiffs property.' ' . The defenclant's fi pli\aded " not yuilty." Plaintiffesfht^dfthata pig 1 was billed •ttlie MaUvreßaij4^ipit rwa» hre; the defendants hadftllled it, he knew it was his by certain f mark8 1 on the siting,.. -,} y^ The detend'antsV ~ admitted : haying , kill«d a pig. J.T^ey^ had been, given, permission to do 1 so by a gentleman .called Mr Eru— aJrtsidfentWtliat pOk. '"■ The commitWei i tod judge' -f Nepe) here adjoflraed to^nspect; the skin' of : the pig. ..}#-# a h'vtitovi '•■■'■*■ ■•->• 2 '-^■'-^j i On the Court resuming, ,the, plaintiff:, was croßs-6xamin%d> He knew the pig well because fie' had had it m about two months atfWWft'irkilT-ft was two yean. old. .?*e .»-•** -*;'-.' •■ 'His wophipitfcen^uestibned ttife de» pendants ; Hie^Ua^ikattdthe.pig ; ;Erubad told U|§mjjQ^i n il>i : 'I i- ' ; l v ; Mr Eru admitted; having; done this. ,. ; ' The pi^M,tm MW4 \M* I-*"?--:-' duced), KHTtneihead liaoV beenrboijled,; they had «fiftMe he^cl I»eif oW; touching any other^p'Srt-of the ciiifciise; ' ' s " Thißconohirimthe^e'videnc^" ' ' '.'• ' His Worship, together with the, i jury; then retired^toi^-quigjttspp.t, ia'paH hf^tk the crowdlpf sp^cU^n^who;had;, assembled to witrtess^the nroce&djji^ ,, i; Mr, Uepe the8 G summed;. Sp. * ; T H« jofti.ted out that, «s-fa^sif Ih^plainiiff s/^l<ience wen^th'e^as nothing' to%rbvo * conviction^ land it."would be *Imort necessary ttto .4op«ui,t\ him:; However, there was one point which led hitni;to «uspeot thj,.«u^ r of. ,the r d,efendantf. This waSfße^ olyhrious^ disappearance, of the head. *$ffi*» H°t "customary with'] their peopfti s^^bil'the'hSad bbfore anyother partff^P'lhe Bddy, ; in ! 'suieh i; selP' condomuifii .• T hat ■ hbad < have beeujtheaolply .means dfaconvietingi; the guilty pA^s J i i a^iithad>b.,c.en-car^ fully eatenju !j j .He}c6nßidered:thli.wa8 j ample cyrcumsliantial^ eyidencA. upon , which to ym^&pto&r^W The jury Wfrb^wei c s much A astoplsßed at the deptHi'** this reMoning~and' ; de- J lighted a trthe. intensity. iof ihought and dißcernme%t»fltfoc|»'it"borßr evidence v of at once returned {aj;Vgrdi<it}Vgujityj"audi the defendants^, amidst jtheiluniy^sal ..applause « ttje. aunouncemeui. of His WorsKiP^d^fsMn.gttvVi'nse to.pay the sum or£sfntSfle mp aS^follbwß":-^ To value clf*pigicife*i=totpena]ty ofllHe law for sif|aiitig;V/£l».<e*ch;v^otal nM.-i Out of thi^irn:, jjhe phin.tiffji.M.r WMe roi Kuku w^nfpjp^.^at hft^as^enp. titled to^lojß^tqe^m of Js.^a.slijgGt testimony^f IKe deep . 9 ppreciatmn w^th which ever^ We "fegiii'ded ' the , justites of the judWiifl Aecisibn) 5 Beinjf'piiid;itd. Mr Nepe <y* Apafcu,^ the acting Magi^ trate, and^Dsibißlngiha'nded^over; to; be; expended^p^dj|fi« &p j^jdiaprfitiipu t ■oki the jury. Muoii^ivHyuk l&mc&% i i}s [£■>, TUe fingiw nffid .(it, bping f Mieyed that it waT&lsMJ'by' 'general subrscnp^ . tiou) and *theS^ei-!il|i nated,- . ■- ' ■ . \. \.'. ' •^ ; '5 i