TE KOOTI SCARE

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 158, 15 March 1939, Page 4

TE KOOTI SCARE

ALARM OF so YEARS AGO DANGER DEPRECATED , COMMENT IN' THE CITIES. * A visit paid by the notorious Te Kooti: to Poverty Hay caused considerable alarm and excitement 50 years ago. “The excitement *re Te Kooti is more intense. Families from the country are coming to town for protection,” says a Press Association message front Gisborne published in the Wellington Post at that time. “The chiefs, of the Turanga and Ngatiporoii Tribes sent a telegram to the Native* Minister strongly condemning Te .Kooti’s visit, and stating that if he is not stopped at Opotiki they will immediately ..rise andl stop him. The. Ngatiporous are the strongest, tribe on the coast, -afid could place 700 jl or 8(|0’ men in the field. They are vehemently opposed to r l'o Kooti, against whom they fought in the last war.” Wellington Comment. ; Commenting on the scare, the: Post had the following-? editorial remarks} “We wonder if sit Am, suggested illicit to the inhabitants of Poverty Bay that they are making themselves rather ■' f 1

ridiculous over the Te Kooti affair. There is not the slightest danger to them in the approach of Te Kooti. It is absurd to suppose that he has any hostile intent, or will interfere with anyone if lie: is not interfered with. It is rather difficult to understand l nis anxiety to re-visit the scene of his former crinies, but it is certainly ■ not with any desire- to repeat them. The scai'e which has been got up, settlers leaving their homes and taking their families into the towns, is altogether unreasonable and is,by no, .means erect* i table. Te Kooti is as lit tip likely to be guilty of . outrage in Poverty Bay now as in any other part off the' colony, and since his pardon lie has visited a great many places. “We arl; not surprised that the settlers, especially the relatives of his former victims, object strongly to his presence amongst them, -hut that' they really fear him is scarcely to be credited. •If lie comes,' the best thing they could dot would be to boycott him. fl'hcir enrolment of a vigilance committee, ctemand for arms, appointment of a military eommantTer, and tall talk of what' they will do, are'all utterly nonsensical.- i , “Fuss of White Settlers” “If no fuss had been nuuky-thene. is a strong probability that had Te Kooti' llceii’ ifuwjslj 1 eiloiigll fcb place liimself within the power of his old enemies, flic he would have disappeared quictlyi, and perhaps ah'cl wfe really dp. not that there would have been any duty oil the government to in-

quire too closely as to the - manner of his disappearance; but the fuss which the white settlors have got up about the matter absolutely imposes a, duty on the Government to protect Te Kooti from attack or violence, and to punish anyone guilty of a breach of the peace towards him. “The best thing that can now be done is to explain to the excited and silly settlers that • they will he- held legally responsible: lor any improper action, that no breach of the peace or threatening conduct will be tolerated, ami that'swift and condign punishment will follow any illegal or violent action. Under such a warning the courage pf the Poverty Barites wilj| out of the palms of their hands fffter the manner of Bob Acres. ” j Arrhfed Force-Dispatched.

The decision of the Government to have Te Kooti arffiufch interest 50 ugo, whp.iL itroppswand police were sent frqm Aufckla&d, to the Bay of Plenty Herctld. ' Fears were aroused when no neWs was! received from Opotiki,. but this was due to the closing of'[telegraph ie communication with the xown -in .order .to prevent Te Kooti’s followers from comimmicafihg wTEfi him. lf(>l r lowing is an extract from the *_Auckland morald of February 'll. 18b’y-

“The excitement concerning To Kooti, which has been growing rapidly iii the last two days, received a new impetus- yesterday when it became known that the Government had k-diu-itely decided to dispatch an armed force from Auckland"; to assist An tie capture of the contumacious ex-rebel at Opotiki. “A correspondent writing from Bay of Plenty, says:—“Te Kooti is inciting the natives; to obstruct the owner of a block of- land, for wfi%a- Crown title is held under the Lan’dl’aVimsfer Act, from occupation. F'cuV men were lately sc-nt to eroct a but they-" were driven backjby the few natives squatting on thoHfffftk'” - »

C# ARCED AT OPOVfKI COURTPRISOXER SFNT TO ACCKL.j XI) The arrest of Te Kooti 50 years ago was followed by bis appearance m the Opotiki Police Court and with some of In’s followers lie was charged with unlawfully assembling to disturb the public peace. Following is ail extract, giving the magistrate's decision, from the report of the case which appeared in the Xew Zealand Herald of March 1, 18S9: — “The magistrate addressed the prisoner at seme length in Maori, and then announced that the prisoner was hound over to keep the peace for six months in his own bond of £SOO and two sureties of £SOO each. He said it would be necessary to send Te Kooti to Auckland. as sureties could not be found atOpotiki. “The 5.3. Chelmsford kit Opotiki for Auckland--at 5.’3Q.~p.m„ yesterday, with Te Kooti in custody of the police escort. The Auckland volunteers wore also on board.”