MAORI TRAGEDY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 439, 25 January 1933, Page 5

MAORI TRAGEDY

MAN SHOOTS HIMSELF QUARRELS WITH HIS WiFK - OVER ANOTHER WOMAN A BETERMINED ATTEMPT Fred Haumaha, a Maori, aged 22 years, employed by the NeW Zealbnd Perpetual Forests, committed sUicide by shooting himself on. Sunday-, January 22. A strange coincidenCe is that a brother, Tommy Haulnaha, committed suicide iit a similar manner in Putaruru 14 years ago. The inquest was held before Mr.' N. K. McDermott, coroner, on Mt»nday, January 23. Daisy Haumaha identified the body° as that of her husband, Topere Haumaha. They were married in October last. On Friday, the 20th, the pay week-end, • she, accompanied by her husband and baby, came to Putaruru in Mr. Boone's car. That night she stayed at the pa. On Saturday night I had an argument with deceased, but it was not serious. jSe wanted me to go to the pictures by irtyself. After a time I consented, but owing to my baby crying I was compelled to leave the theatre early.

With Another Girl I then looked for my husband and I found him jn a railway • cajrriage with another Maori* girl. The deceased kept company with this girl before we were married. I was very angry with him and he left the railway carriage with me. I told him if he gave me some money I Would go hdme hnd ho could have the other girl. We finally fixed up the quarrel and returned to camp with Mr. BOone. I would be about half past nine when we left Putaruru for the camp at Tokoroa. When we reached camp we were the only ones there, all the other MaoPis being away for the week-end. Deeeased was very quiet. He said he was ashamed of himself for being with the other girl. He caught hold of me and threw me on the bed. t started to ery. He thett proeured a razor, but declared it was too slow. He told me his brother had tied the gun to his toe. and shot himself. Hid the Gun After some time I persuaded him to come to bed. The gun at this tiifie was in Ikey's tent. I bid the cartridges in a locked suitcase, and I pirined the keys to my pyjamas. I got up first on Sunday morning and weht to the cookhouse to light the fire. I then pinned the keys to my dress. Deceased watched me do this. He got UP later and came to the cookhouse and fed the baby, but did not eat breakfast himself. After he had left me, I missed one of the keys and suspected he had taken it. When he had his arms around me. Secured the Key I went to the suitcase and found the cartridges gone. Shortly after this I heard a gun go off. I screattied and went and told Mr. Boone, Fred had shot himself. I was quite sure ho had shot himself, he was so determined. He had often told me thatthe only thing that would part us would be a gun. He often said he • would not shoot himself without shooting me. Harold Percival Boone, employed by the New Zealand Perpetual For- • ests, deposed to finding the body. Deceased was lying on his back with the gun between his knees. The muzzle of the gun was held in both hands and the end was about a foot from his chin. I noticed a boot lace tied on to the trigger and on to his own boot lace. He was quite dead. A verdict was returned that Topere Haumaha died as a result of a gunshot wound, inflicted by himself while in a state of severe mental depression.