CAPTAIN LEVY AND THE VOLKNER MURDER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 51, 13 January 1872, Page 6

CAPTAIN LEVY AND THE VOLKNER MURDER.

[TO THE EDITOB OE THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL.] Aucklond, January 4>, g IE _Will you, for the benefit of all concerned, be so good as to insert in your paper this and the following letter addressed to his Honor Justice Johnston, of _ Wellington, together with the appended official statement of Mr Alfred Agassiz, M.R.C.P., with notes on the same by Mr Commissioner Macfeay.— lam,&c, P.S.Geace. Auckland, January 4,1872. To His Honor Mr Justice Johnston. _ Sie,—l have the honor to observe that in summing up the evidence in the case of Kereopa, on the 21st of December last, at Napier, you are reported in the public papers to have said that " Morice Levy, who has saved the life of one - minister, and whose conduct throughout have been such as to leave us all in this colony his debtor, &c." Will you allow me through the medium ot the Wellington Independent to forward to you the following official statement relative to this matter. There is other evidence to the same effect, and also letters written from Opotiki at the time to the Bishop of Waiapu, and the Yen. Archdeacon Brown, of Tauranga, all of which confirm and corroborate this evidence of Dr Agassiz. —I am, &c, P. S. Grace. Memorandum of a statement made by Mr Alfred Agassiz respecting the proceedings of Captain Levy, in the matter of the detention of the Rev Mr Grace by the Pai Marire fanatics, at Opotifci. With respect to Captain Levy s losses, I ■would mention that I was standing by his store. He took me to a native and asked him the question, " Did I not give up the whole of my goods to save the life of Mr Yolkner ?" The native answered, "Yes." Immediately after this Captain Levy asked to give him a certificate to that effect. I foolishly, on the spur of the moment, did so. I have since learned that the natives had seized the vessel, and all the goods, which they had distributed amongst the tribes. They being afterwards ashamed of what they had done, agreed to repay him. They gave him several tons of potatoes before he left, and had he returned they would have loaded his vessel in payment for these goods. Captain Levy did all he could against the Rev Mr Grace. One day the latter came to my house to Bpeak to me. Levy was present, and on Mr Grace leaving, he said, " Kakino te minita" (the minister is a bad man). Another time he told Pokanui Te Aroanui to "take Mr Grace away from Tiwai's house, and lock him up in the pa." I heardhim say this. Tiwai was also present. Tiwai refused to let Mr Grace go. Tiwai behaved very well throughout, and was the only one who did any good for us. He did all he possibly could for all the Europeans. Captain Levy informed me that when Mr Grace went to assist at the burial of Yolkner, "he ordered the sailors to march him away j they then pushed him away." Mr Grace complained to me about this, and said, "He did not wish to see Mr Yolkner buried like a dog." After this the Jews went into the country, and Mr Grace went with me, and read the burial service over Mr Yolkner's grave. , The natives say that Captain Levy did all he could to get Mr Grace hung. From what I saw, my opinion is that Levy did ail he could to insult and frighten Mr Grace. A. Agassiz, M.R.C.S, The above statement was made before me at Auckland, on the 21st of August, 1865. James Mackat, Jun., Civil Commissioner.