EPIDEMIC IN UREWERA.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1919, Page 8

EPIDEMIC IN UREWERA.

ONE HUNDRED CASES.

DEATH OF EUA REPORTED. The influenza epidemic mads an appearance m iirulciit lurm iu the Uiewera country, where it iu reported that there are over WO cases, reports the Vv'hakatane correspondent of uio Auckland Herald. Several deaths among tue natives at Mungapohutu have >beeii recorded, among tlieiu Uua, the notorious prophet. xNo oiiieial iiu'unnation is so l'ar to hand.

liua Tapunui Hcpetipa achieved notoriety as a Maori "prophet-" Horn just over oU years ago, oi au undistinguished family, he reached the zenith of his influence over a section of the Urettvra natives in the ye:» s VMS and IUOW. in tiiose da\s he livuu v. itu his followers ali.emaj.ely at -Maugapoliatu and Wai-iti, in the heart of the Urewera country, and took to himself a plurality of wives. He aifecied European clothes, but wove a profusion of hair aud a beard. These hirsute adornments, however, disappeared in recent years, lli's religion was a slightly modernised form of llauhauism. Rua was wont to declare that ha did not preach "Maoriland l'or the Maoris," but was really Europeanising Maori customs and ways. He objected to being called a tohunga, or prophet, claiming' to be above both in his desire for the betterment of liia race. At the 'langapohatu pa ho erected a circular temple, and therein he used to officiate as "high priest," though of late years the tempi? was put to move practical uso as a woolstore.

When Una's mana was strongest he came into conflict occasionally with the Government iu respect of rights he demanded. On one occasion, in March, 1!)0S, Sir Joseph Ward, who was then Prime Minister met him in conference at Whakatane, and made it clear to him that the Government was supreme in New Zealand, and would do what was right by the Maoris- "But," Sir Josep'h pointed out, "there cannot be two suns shining in the sky at one time." In later years Run's influence Ibegan to wane, but he still retained several faithful adherents.

Ultimately, in May, 1915, he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for sly grog-selling, and convicted and ordered to come up for sentence, if called upon, in respect of five other charges. In the following Novemtier, lie was summoned to appear at Whattatane, in respect to those charges. He failed to attend the Court, and was fined £SO and costs in his absence, and to various short terms of imprisonment totalling in all nints months.

Efforts to induce Rua te surrender himself to justice having failed, a police expedition,, under tha then Commissioner, Mr J. Cullen, set out at the end of March to apprehend him. The armed police party 0/ about CO reached the •'prophet's" stronghold at Mangapohatu, on the morning of Sunday. April 2, 19U5 The taking of Rua. was followed by bloodshed, his followers and the police exchanged shots, the. firing proceeding for about ?.() minutes. Two cf the Maoris were killed, including Hua's younger son, Toko, aged 22, whiia four of the police and two or three of the natives were wounded. Rua <vas charged with resisting arrest on April 2, and 011 a previous occasion, at Wailti. His trial at the Auckland Supreme Court lasted 17 days, from ,Ti:n.4 1). 1910, to August 9.. Tic was found guilty of "moral" resfefcuice at Wai'iti, and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, to he. followed by 18 months' reformative treatment. Before the expiry <vi the latter terra, a few months ago, Rua was released oil the recommendation of the Prisons Board. He returned to the tlreweri country, and ill the closing stages of the war was reported to have

been instrumental in inducing many young*-Maoris to enlist. At the time of his arrest at Mangapohatu Rua had nine "wives" and several children. Moat oflhe former held interests in land in the Urcweri, where the "prophet" raised & certain amount of stock.