TRIAL OF KEREOPA.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 445, 19 July 1879, Page 3

TRIAL OF KEREOPA.

We take the following from yesterday’s Wanganui Chronicle : The case of Koreopa, charged with threatening to commit murder, was resumed on Thursday morning, and occupied the time of the Court up to six o’clock in the evening. In addition to the witnesses examined on Wednesday, •several others were placed in the box on behalf of the Crown. The case for the prosecution was concluded at about 2 p.m., when Mr Duncan commenced the delence, and called several witnesses. It was urged on behalf of the prisoner, that ■on the day named in the information—viz., May 15th, 1879, he was under the influence of liquor, but that he used no stronger language than would be ordinarily used hy a Maori whilst in a state of excitement. It was further urged on behalf of Kereopa that the Government had behaved very badly with regard to •certain reserves which had been promised to the natives in the Momahaki Block, and in which the prisoner had a valuable interest. At the conclusion of the case Resident Magistrate ordered the "^prisonertoenterintohis own recognizance of £ 1,000, and to find two sureties in the sum of £SOO each, for his appearance at the next sitting of the Supreme Court to be holden at Wanganui, and until that time to keep the peace towards Her Majesty’s subjects. In default of finding the required sureties, the prisoner was committed to the Wanganui gaol. We may remark that by far the greater part of what the witnesses said both for the prosecution and on behalf of the prisoner, had no bearing whatever on the case, and would under no circumstances have been taken in a higher Court.