POLICE REPORT.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 77, 28 March 1846, Page 2

POLICE REPORT.

On Thursday, the 19th inst., H. St. Hill, Esq., the Police Magistrate attended at the Hutt stockade to enquire into the circumstances relative to the apprehension on the previous afternoon of Taura, an aboriginal native, by a party of the military at the request of Mr. Swainson, one of the Magistrates residing at the River Hutt. Robert Stilling deposed that he was in his father's potatoe field on Wednesday afternoon about three o'clock, when ihe prisoner, who was gathering potatoes in the same field with about 20 or 30 other natives, came up to him and told' him to be off or he would make a bung a bung of him ; he further asked the witness if he had any money about him, to which he replied he had. not; witness went immediately to his father and told him what had taken place between himaiid the native. Mrs. Stillingstook witness to Mr. Swainson, before whom he made a declaration of the facts as above stated. Mr. Swainson applied to the officer in command of the detachment stationed at the stockade for a party of soldiers, and the prisoner was apprehended injthe potatoe field, and taken to the stockade. On cross-examination by the magistrate, witness understood by the term make a bung a bung of him, that the prisoner intended to shoot him; the prisoner had no musket or oiher weapon in his hand, and witness was not at all alarmed. Colour-serjeant Naughton of the 58th Regt., stationed at theHutt stockade deposed,that a party of natives had come up to the stockade about two o'clock on the previous day with a pass for twenty natives, and a note to constable Stratford from the Superintendent, directing him to ask Major Arney's permission to allow the natives to take some potatoes while they were up the Hutt ; the deponent handed the note to ' Ma* jor Arney, who was then in Mr. Rush's house ; m consequence of the constable having gone up. the valley with a party of natives in the mor-^ 1 ning, Major Arney ordered a corporal to be sent with about 30 natives to get away their canoes; there were a great number of natives, women and children, who were desirous of accompanying their friends up the valley, but they were not permitted to pass the sentry ; the prisoner was brought to the stockade about three hours afterwards by a party of the 58th detachment. Constable Stratford deposed, that having received instructions from the Superintendent to take a party of natives up the Hutt to remove their canoes, he had proceeded thither the previous morning for that purpose ; on his return he saw Te Ringa Kuri near the pa ; he asked him what he was doing there with so many natives ; he replied he had left one letter for the officer of the stockade, and another for him, the witness ; when he arrived at the stockade, the serjeant gave deponent a note from the Super-, intendent, directing him to ask Major Arney's permission to allow Te Ringa Kuri and his natives to have some potatoes while they were up the Hutt, and when they had got away their canoes, to allow them to have some more. The Prisoner in his defence stated that on the day previous he had gone to gather potatoes on

the eround which Te RingaKurihad cultivated, ihJhlZl master Stilling there; he denied having used any threats whatever towards him; he thought master Stilling appeared, very much frightened, when he saw the natives m the potatoe ground. The prisoner was discharged.

Police Report. —On Tuesday last George Ellis was brought before H. St. Hill, Esq., the Police Magistrate, having been apprehended the previous evening, by some of Mr. Clifford's company on the Porirua road under rather suspicious circumstances. The prisoner, who is an American, has for a long time been living with the natives. He has lately returned from the interior and joined the natives on the coast. He was up the Hutt a short time before the robberies were committed on the Waiwetu, and he has been observed lurking abouf the stockade on the Porirua road for several days past. On Monday evening he was apprehended, as above stated, and examined by C. Clifford, Esq., J.P., who, finding the prisoner was unable to give a satisfactory account of himself, sent him to be examined before the Police Magistrate. As there was not sufficient evidence to connect the 1 prisoner with the late outrages he was admonished and liberated.