WELLINGTON. (From The New Zealand Spectator, March 24.)

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 298, 7 April 1849, Page 5

WELLINGTON. (From The New Zealand Spectator, March 24.)

lloiuußLi; iiluuDna, — A series of murder.*), of i Ur most dreadful ouJ ajij/alnng 11a vie, w&i com billed on Tl)U:- (1 y n'yht on ;i>e P.-nun Road, winch his i\eafr:il di • c!ci-|iosi iens-itidu of hoi .-or and asto<ihliiuc/)t throughout the comruiini'y. John Brank <, wlio iv Ax h'm firrily have !)3?n the viel-rm of tins airnnj^ ciime, resided -ibout five or mi hundred y.ir/ls bcrond flic clitnvh on tlie Pnr;rtJi Komi, and abvmt five rm'ci fiO'u Vnlliii^toii. The deceased c«nie out ai.°on> iho or.rji ifil J>oJy ol settlers, and was liijily to^p-cteJ. by In-. iH'i^hbouis as a sober, honest, iuduBt.ii us nan, Ab ut eighteen wrilhy ago he ]»nj the mi foiuii>* to hs- ills v>ih, \'bi died of lock jdfr h, ijodsiUUK'-jw of mjaii"i slio lud iccewed T.ojn tlie fall < f a u«c, Ic.*iiifj liioi nitli thref <h hhtn, two bt)ys a**<i <> 'i*n3 dfeca'-ed haU been litcly working tor M« D'nkf, who iirfs >n the ncighbanrhoM*, about u r^urieroi ft »»ilo from Biri-ki' huine, and who, fin.lmi; .ie had not come lo work yehUrduy inorom? bfitweea eUit and nine o\ It/Uh, ns wjs u<us], went to hij hous^ On his arrival he found the door faA-nsd ; anu su;|»ectin!; that ail win not ri^iit, he called some of liranksS iit.mediate neighbours, and they went to^ethu* to tlr house, into wlji^h they forced «n eutrance, wlit-u, d'endfal to rcl?te, they (ouud trunks and his c'-iiUren hiU beea murdered. Bunks wa^s lying dead in a corner m:ar the firt!|)]'icp ; !/« h»d receive.! aig t wouud . upon i«i» hej'J, face, and ths lack 0/ his n clc MO3; of the vrouueia wee oi (i dc^verave nature, t'i-^e of thsm puietraliiig the skull, and «ny of them Miffident to caune death. The hod e» of the children were found in bed. Tha elde-t, Williatn, was a five boy n»)ac irne years o!d ; tlip second, Kacheniie, was aoout five and a half jvara old; the yoiiti.'tst", John, nas un infant about two and n half j'pars oJd. Tucy nil hid deep wounds on tha heui, p^netratingr the .-kuli. An axe, with which Ihe murders ap/iearcd i» ha^e been commitied, was found in th" house rovdivd «viili blood aud )jair. The things i»i thtj hou«c vveiv thrown ctbuut and in dHoi'dur, a^ if they hud been rair-nok'-d lor the. purpose of plunder. Mr, Drake iiuuieo'utely hisfctwd to Welling too, to inform tlte proper authorities of what Ind occurred. De. Fi.zGerald, ihe coroner, at onco pioceeded to the scene of \bk /eujful tragedy, for tha purpi se cf holding an jnqu.>st on the bodies. The KiQuest lasted until the cvc.iiug, when it wus adjjurned until this day. Jb'rom the wiv in tvluch the bodies wmo foun ), it would np]ie>)i that the murders h-.d been commuted in the eaily (■art oi the ni^lit, afier the chilorcn had gone lo bed, au>l before tin latoer's usual Ji mr of retiring to rent". A ii.uni, who s,d»d he b^lunyeil to Horowncnia, aad ciiinc with k inc;Efl£e ro Mr. Yule, was the oul? native been about Brands'* hom>t 1)1.5 <liy b-toie tbr mnrdera U'ereoonimiifcd. A pjwCltmrttion bos been issued by Ims Ex "elU'nßj the L'^utftiaiit-Goveiuor, in i\lai>/i and English, ofF (ing « reward of firry pounds lo wh/cver 6!ull j/jvo bU h -.nfonaiititui as may lead to the npprthoiisi n and ciinv.ctioa ot the pci^e tutors of this auooiout a ime. fjinca the >»bove was written we hive h/fn informed that a Maori was apprehended last niffht, between nino r.ud teu o'cioot, by the polxe, in I'olhi'l'a GiJley, at Tt- An; li wiS a. stranger 0 the nitives living thsre, and had been there on y an iiuur previous t.) hua.jpte" lie-is'ui . His bldhtct mul Uraweis viere nu'^cd «vitb spot*, like stai'is of hlooJ. lie iiud oul- »oen < ibrhatgod !a<tt Weduc-diy ftotn prison, niiere h<i had been com mill ed for foui moi.ttu b^ Majjr Du^ie, the Police Magistrate at Waikauae, fur » robbery at Wuinui.

The Maori \rhi) was arrested on Fridiy n'gbt wai fa ly committed by H. St. HiU, J^ij., the Resident Mrf»istr4'e, on Situulay, to Like lii 3 trial for \h* umi'ilcr of CiauiUiUid hi* fami'y at the utxtcrim n.il sit tn^s cf the Supreme Court. Tui evidanca, wliiub is ot a ciicumstantial nntare, it very £ti^.\' n gam Si the prisoner. We understand (lih pribO ier b-ltlJgS t<? the Ngatikahuau tribe. — 10., March 28.