INQUEST.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1061, 15 April 1882, Page 2

INQUEST.

Serot. Bullen returned from Waiapn by the s.s. Resina, on Thursday last, having in charge the prisouer Tamati Puni, who was committed for trial at the next session of the Supreme Court at Napier, charged with the manslaughter of Te Rana Tirahina, at Wai-o-matatini, on the 9th inst. We give the evidence of Arapera Ngakaho, which was corroborated by the evidence of five other Natives. The other evidence is almost word for word the same as that of Arapera Ngakaho.

Arapera Ngakaho, sworn, deposed: I am the wife of Tamati Ngakaho, and reside at Wai-o-matatini. On the evening of Tuesday, the 4th inst., about sundown, I was standing close to the gateway in front of my husband’s whare, when I saw Te Raua with a flax rope in his hand, and Tamati wanted to take it away from him, saying “ that rope is not yours, but belongs to the school children.” Tamati then got hold of the rope, and Te Raua tried to pull it from him, when Tamati fell down, he then got up aud struck Te Raua twice on the face with his fist. Te Raua then struck Tamati who then struck Te Rauo again, and To Raua fell down. Te Raua got up and they closed with one another, and they both fell together on a stack of rails that were near, Tamati falling under. Tamati then got Te Raua under him with his face down on the rails. Tamati then caught Te Raua by the beard with one hand and with the other struck him several times on the ear, first on the right ear; he then changed hands, and struck him on the left ear. Paramena then said, “Do not beat your uncle any more.” Tamati replied, “Do not come near me, or you will suffer also.” When Tamati was striking Te Raua on the right ear, Te Raua cried out, “ That is enough, you will kill me,” and he was then quiet, and I think it was then that he died. Tamati then then stamped on the back of his neck, first with his left foot and then with his right. Paramena and Hera threw water on Te Raua to bring him round, but they found that he was dead. The body was then removed to the whare of Fred. Fox, both men were rather drunk. The rope produced is the one they were fighting about. On the 11th of April, Dr. Franklin made a post mortem examination on the body of Te Raua, and found no fracture of either skull or spine observable. The brain was in a semifluid state of decomposition. Lungs slightly congested, and adhering to the chest on both sides. The heart was perfectly sound, but empty. The liver and kidneys in normal state, as also were the intestines. The examination was performed in the open air, the rain falling in torrents most of the time. The Doctor’s opinion is, taking all circumstances and appearances into consideration, that' death resulted from concussion of the brain and severe shock to the nervous system. The row commenced near Fox’s public house, at Wai-o-matatini, bosh parties being intoxicated.

The case was hoard by Captain Preece and a jury of ten Europeans and three Natives, who returned a verdict of manslaughter against Tamati, who was committed for trial in accordance with that verdict. The inquest commenced at 10 a.m., and was completed at 10.30 p.m.