FAMILY WAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 December 1932, Page 5

FAMILY WAR

ASSAULT ALLEGED QUARREL OF OHINEMUTU MAORIS SATISFACTORILY SETTLED HOTEL BAR INCIDENT ' * Better couns'els having prevailed as the result of ia meeting held the previous night, led to the patching up of a quarrel ' between two factions of Ohinemutu Maoris when the matter was rectified in the Rotorua Police Court before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., yesterday. Eventually after hearing some evidence the cases were dismissed on condition. that the defendant prohibited himself. ABen Huriwaka through Mr, M. H. Hampson, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Hans Tapsell land also with using insuiting langtlage to him. Hans Tapsell gave evidence that on November 19 he was in an hotel and met Ben Huriwaka. About 11.30 he was in the hotel and hiad a few drinks . with Huriwaka iand the latter started talking about Colonel Fraser iand said that he had given hhn ta nasty smack on the face. Witness said that he should not do that as Colonel Fraser had been very generous to the members of the pa. Huriwaka then oalled witness a — — — — - ^.nd -made a blind smack at him. Then a Maori named Peter eame and tried to separate them. Other Maoris eame along and put Ben Huriwaka out. Witness went back to the meeting house at Ohinemutu "where it was warm." He went to sleep- and Ben Huriwaka eame along and kiclced bim in the face. "He had sho-ss on and he kicked me twice and I fainted; I have both eyes hung up. Then he ' cale fav/ay." Witness had had a few drinks but was not drunk. He was sure it was Ben who' kicked him. To Mr. Hampson: How many drinks did you have at the hotel before dinner? — -Two light shandies ? Witness: Oh no; I have half and k:alf— half bser and half stout. Witness then said that he had one drink after dinner and then went to the meeting house to sleep. His sl'eepiness was not due to drink, hut the steam h'eating of the meeting house. As. n matter of fact he did not now wish' to press the charge as both Ben Huriwaka and he were Catholics. A middle-aged Maori namedj Peter gave evidence of trying to separate Tapsell and Huriwaka in the hotel. Both were sober. He heard Huriwaka use an insuiting remark to Tapsell. To Mr. Hampson: This was after the row h'ad started. George Wood saw both Tapsell and Huriwaka asleep in the meeting house. They were a few yards apart. lle knew nothing more about the matter. Constable Brown gave evidence hat Tapsell had both his eyes blackened when h'e complained to the police. The injuries were consistent with his having been kicked. Accused when interviewed denied having kicked Tapsell and also having used insuiting ianguage in the hotel. Mr. Hampson said that he wasi in a peculiar position since h'e" had been instructed by Mrs. Tapsell, the mother of the witness Tapsell. They had had a meeting and did not wish the case io go> any further. The Bench said that h'e was prepared to adopt this' -attitude providing Huriwaka took out a prohibition order against himself.