MAORI MATRIMONIAL CUSTOMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7738, 14 February 1905, Page 2

MAORI MATRIMONIAL CUSTOMS.

u (Pur Press Association.) e AUCKLAND, Feb, VS. r Mr Justice Edwards had a delicate d little love affair to straighten out in i, the Auckland Supreme Court this t morning. The prisoner fat the bar f was a quarter caste Maori, a youth 0 gained Ernest Martin, who was u charged with abducting a Maori girl d of H years, named Ngawai Tana, k- and pleaded guilty. According to his x counsel, Sir Mahoney, the little alii fair occurred at Mivtakohe, where n Ernest'was courting Ngtvwai's sister. y In Ngawai's heart there grew up a 1 feeling of fondness for this young .1 man, and fondness was reflected in s her behaviour |owards him with such - ett'ect .that he became faspinated. She - put hprself iit his wtiy so mjJch that his aU'ection for hpi* ejdpj- sistpr % cooled, and when nt last she suggested elopement the transfer of his afg tactions became complete. They started across country for a neigh- _ bouring native?: settlement. They j g were under the impression that there was no reason why n girl who de- ' cided to run away with her lover :: should not do so. Their flight wan p dispovurjjd, and they were overtaken J ftwd brought bfijL'k Matakohe. Here " the would-be bridegroom was pharged before the magistrate with ctb- * ducting a girl under the legal age, and he was l committed for trial, lie [ " then married the girl with the full J* consent of parents on both sides. W The .accused young man had now become a member of the girl's family, and the couple had been living at the residence of the bride's fa•S Uhu\ pwped considerable property. The pohit'ion of *thp case now J# I was that the husband was in"coiii'f. [8 as an accused man, and his wife as w a possible witness * against Jiim. ft Counsel asked his l Honour to allow it lif.tli» sentiment to penetrate oven i_ into a court u* Ui;y, so fjthut these young people might begin their mart _ ried life under favourable conditions. Any wrong done to the girl had been _ righted in an honourable way. His •„ Honour askyd ,fcha| (.ha gfpj should , e come forward that he might see her. l! Alter Hjs Honour had spoken to h«r e the girj's father, llonj Tana, -was y examined on oath, and stated that he consented to the marriage undpr e pressure of the accused'?, parents. 0 Neither the father, the native inn terpreter, nor the native lay preacher y who married the young couple could inform his Honour that marriage at n i'oln'ipefi .vai." :jn accordance with t Maori jdoa)sor proper morality, and bis Honour therefore- deferred cision till next Friday in order' that U the llev. \Y. (Httos (suggested by Mr SJaori ctisiuuiß, j \