SECRET DEPARTURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 553, 4 January 1929, Page 1

SECRET DEPARTURE

Expedition to Urewera

JNSPEC i'OR, SERGEANT AND 3 CONSTABLES

(From Our Own Correspondent)

ROTORUA, To-day. SECRECY surrounds the departure for the Urewera. country of an armed force of police which left here yesterday. Superintendent Eccles, Sergeant Hogan, and three constables, all fully armed, have set out to arrest Rua, whose stronghold is at Maungapohatu. The posse is expected back to-morrow.

for the expedi- ■* tion were made in close secrecy and, evidently, with the utmost dispatch, tor neither the Auckland headquarters nor the police stations in the surrounding district were aware of the move at mid-day to-day. The police station officers at Hamilton advised that they were unaware of the departure of Superintendent Kceles, who is the officer-in-charge iu that district. The police posse from Rotorua hag before it a long and arduous journey of over 80 miles into the heart of the wild Urewera country. Before reaching Rua’s stronghold it must follow the road to Rainbow Mountain and then branch off, to journey 23J miles across the Kaingaroa Plains to Murlpara. After the Rangitaiki River is crossed the party will continue to Te Whaitt, where the old native stockades are to be found, and Ngaputahi, where visitors are shown the grave of a British scout. From there the road takes a detour through Fapuera and Heipipi, afterwards continuing on through Ruatahuna to Onini, where the formed road ends. Twelve miles of clay road and track

have then to be covered before tlie stronghold of Rua is reached. FIERCE SKIRMISH AT PA RUA’S ARREST IN 1916 BLOOD SHED ON BOTH SIDES Rua, the Maori “prophet,” was last prominent in the eyes of the New Zealand public in 1916, when he was arrested at his pa at Maungapohatu on April 2, after a skirmish with the police. In the encounter, the Maori losses included, two killed, one being Rua’s son, while four constables suffered gunshot wounds at the hands of the defenders. Over 60 police were sent from Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier to arrest Rua in connection with his breaches of the liquor law. He was alleged to have carried on slygrogging among the natives. When the party came in sight of the pa, a white flag was seen and it was believed that Rua meant to give himself up without resistance. The flag disappeared suddenly and an endeavour was made to serve the warrant of arrest when Rua challenged the police, crying; “Come in and take me.”

A desperate struggle ensued, Rua resisting furiously, urging his followers to kill the' police. The constables were compelled to fire on the natives in an encounter which raged for half an hour. Eventually Rua’s mana was definitely broken. His protectors lost heart. Over 200 natives had been enlisted as Rua’s bodyguard. RISE TO POWER

Rua Tapunui Hepetipa was, even among his people, a fallen idol. His brief ascendancy was an interesting example of a cunning man imposing on the credulity good nature of ignorant natives. Born poor, a member of a common family, he reached his zenith in 190 S and 1909. when_ hie influence over a section of the Urewera Maoris aroused interest. Rua is now probably 60 years of age. When he first attracted the attention of the authorities, he was tall and slim, with long hair curling to his shoulders. He had a pair of fascinating eyes. Many of his followers tried to copy Rua’s style of growing his hair. They were a remark-able-looking body of people; one writer likening them to Mexican Indians. Rua had modelled his appearance from what he had learned in the Scriptures. NINE WIVES Utne feature of his life which brought criticism upon him was the fact that he had uine wives. Apparently Rua was the only one in the stronghold to affect plurality in marriage. His religion was a form of Hauhauism. He declared that he was not preaching New Zealand for the Maoris, but wanted to modernise the natives. lie objected to being designated a •'prophet.” Another protestation of his was that Europeans were foolish ir attempting to raise Maoris to their level in a few short years. This is a picture of Rua at his best. But he certainly exercised a baneful influence in his district. He exploited his popularity. His idle, dissolute life was a bad example. Iu May, 1915, he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for slygrogging. After his discharge he reverted to his former practices. In November of the same year he was fined £SO on two charges of supplying liquor to natives, and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on each charge. Another three months’ imprisonment were included in the sentence on three minor charges. Iu characteristic manner, Rua sent an impudent note to the magistrate at Whakatane saying that he was too busy to attend. It was believed that Rua had promised the Maoris a good time when New Zealand passed under German rule. The police found that, because of his influence, it was almost impossible to recruit Maoris in his district. Several attempts had been made to induce Rua to give himself up. but he was obdurate, and hid in back-couutry fastnesses.