MAORI DEBAUCHERY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 49, 16 July 1912, Page 5

MAORI DEBAUCHERY

A PALMERSTON CASE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmerston North, Last Night. Mr. Thompson, S.M., was occupied today with cases relating to a Maori tohunga named Hangawata Tuparoa. In the first, W. J. White, licensee of White's Hotel, Foxton, and Mrs. Campbell, manageress, were charged with supplying Hangawata with liquor not for consumption on the premises. It was known that Mrs. Campbell supplied the liquor during the absence of White, who was not living at the hotel. She was fined £5 on each of two charges, with costs, £2 17s 6d. Judgment was reserved against White on a point raised by counsel, Mr. Innes, that he had not authorised the sale. Hangawata Tuparoa was charged with rape on Emily Heta, a Maori girl of sixteen, and on six other charges of taking liqu/or into the Motuiti Pa and supplying natives with liquor. The case is still proceeding. There are a large number of witnesses, and great interest has been aroused among the natives. Later.

There was some extraordinary evidence at the hearing of the rape charge against the Tohunga Hingavvata Tuparoa, which was begun this afternoon. He was charged with rape on Emily Heta, aged sixteen, at Motuiti Pa. Sergeant Wlliams said that Hingawata went to the pa on April 29 with a large supply of liquor, and gave a considerable number of whiskies to men and women, making Emily Heta drunk, and it was alleged that he committed the offence at night without her knowledge. The girl is in the hospital, too ill to appear, though there have been various remands to enable her to do so.

Dr. Adams deposed to bting c:\lled on June 6 by some native to see the girl, whom lie found suffering from rapid consumption, peritonitis, and cellulitis. A few days later the police asked him to investigate as to rape having been committed on April 29. It was so long past that he did not expect to find traces, and found nothing wrong. Emily Heta's mother, Winia Heta. deposed that on April 27 Hingawata came to her house with a quantity of whisky on Saturday niglit, and gave liquor to her, the girl being made drunk. He said she was to sleep in the same room as himself and his wife, and he would treat her. The girl's father and mother were to bite a pen each, and he would then see what was wrong with the girl. They bit the pen, and Hingawata prescribed schnapps, with a bit of parsley in it, and gave Emily so much whisky that her mother protested, but Hingiwata insisted that it was part of the cure. He came again on August 29, and gave them more whisky, and Emily staggered into her mother's room. Mrs. Hingawata pulled her out and took her to bed with them, and next morning Emily told her mother that Hingawata had assaulted her. The hearing "will be resumed to-mor-row.