ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1917, Page 5

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER.

» Sight maoris charged. Bv Telegraph—Press Association. uii' : Auckland, May 28. The trial of eight Maoris—five men and three women—on charges of manslaughter, arising out of the death of a young native at Victoria Valley, near Kaitaia, in August, 1013, commenced »t the Supreme; tp-day. Mr. Tole, for tlie Cijown, said that several of tho accused, when questioned by the police made 'statements to the offeel that they were sleeping at night in a! vhare when they were awakened, arid 1 Eru, father 'of the' deceased, 'ordered them to knock the deceased,Mitai, down. Mitai was then standing up, tot they got him dowW upon the floor, atid'set; upon him. Some held'his legs and arms, and. one of the women (H&mama) sat on. his chest. She was told if he struggled) to put all her weight on. This treat-, ment was kept up for fifteen or twenty, minutes, and When the accused desisted} Mitai was apparently dead. _ Some at-} tempt was made to revive him, on thei advice of a woman now dead, by placing ruga over him ill 1 order' to induce warmth.' The next day tho body was buried in a ltfnely spot in a coffin which Tleta had made." The only explanation of the whole extraordinary affair was that Mitai was mad, and that he was making towards some children who wero hi the whare, A week before one of the To Koni's children had died, and there had been another death in tho soUlo- j ment, both of which might nave inPu-1 .eared the accvsed to somo extent. Evidence on the lines of Mr. Tolo's address was given by severs I witnesses.)