THE RUA TRIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1916, Page 4

THE RUA TRIAL.

JUDGE'S SUMMING-UP, By Telegraph.—Pres» Associat'od. Auckland, Last Night, At the Rua trial to-day, the Crown Prosecutor concluded his address to the jury, and Mr. Justice Chapman commenced hi s summing-up. His Honor reduced the counts preferred against Rua to. four, as follows: Sedition, and resisting at Wauti; counselling to murder, and counselling to do actual bodily harm. Ilis Honor remarked that the case was without precedent in Australasia, and possibly it was only exceeded m length in the annals of the administration of law in the British Empire by the Tichborne case. Eighty-seyen witnesses had been examined, and thero had been nineteen incidents of recalls inr; evidence. Despite that, the ease, comparatively speaking, involved simple issues. The arrest at Mauigapohatu, he had come to the conclusion, could not be justified. It was made on tliren warrants relating to offences against the statutory sale of intoxicating liquors. These offences, however, were not crimes, and therefore under the •Justice of the Peace Act warrants could not be executed on a Sunday. The most important part about the Maungapohatu affray was whether or not thero was a scheme of resistance, and if so what was the scheme. I' there was 110 design it might be difficult to sheet tha matter home to accused.. He did not know of any ease where there had been such a conflict of evidence. Dealing with the expression "patua patua," alleged to have been used by Rua as a' signal, his Honor said that if tiiera were no previous designs there could have been no signal, and if there was * .signal it was a signal to set goine thq, affray. The Court adjourned.