MELEE ON FARM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 966, 8 May 1930, Page 16

MELEE ON FARM

ASSAULT CHARGES DISMISSED MAORIS AND FARMER From. Our Own Correspondent PUKEKOHB, Wednesday. The story of a recent affray between four Maoris and two Europeans was related in the Fukekohe Court today. A Maori woman, Mrs. Nepia, was charged on two counts of assault and one of wilful damage to clothing, while against her husband, Joe Nepia, and Harry Nepia and Jack Nepia, were preferred charges of assault. Mr. E. G. Foster appeared for the defendants. A farmer, J. H. Lawrence, said his ploughman, C. E. Hammond, who was working adjacent to where the liatives were digging potatoes, complained that; Joe Nepia had used abusive lan guage and had threatened to break up witness’s sledge if he travelled over a track through a, patch of artichokes owned by the Maoris again. Witness was carying a slasher to cut blackberry, and with Hammond he went to inquire into the trouble. An altercation occurred, witness dropping the slasher when blows were struck. In the "Donnybrook” which ensued, Mrs. Nepia attacked Lawrence with an iron drag used for potato-digginy. Hammond said Mrs. Nepia struck the first blow with the drag. He, too, was in the melee, and was also assaulted with the iron.

Another eye-witness stated that when the scuffle was in progress Mrs. Nepia struck out with the drag. The magistrate, Mr. F. H. Levien, at thir stage said he could not determine who was the aggressor, and would have to dismiss the informations Each party was ordered to pay its own costs.