ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT OF A MAORI PRISONER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 341, 15 January 1881, Page 2

ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT OF A MAORI PRISONER.

The following are the statutory declarations made by Frederick Simeon and his wife with reference to the alleged ill-treatment of a Maori prisoner :

“ I, Frederick Simeon, of the city of Wellington, tailor, do solemnly and sincerely declare—l. That John Huff, aboriginal Native of New Zealand, declared to me in my shop, and in the presence of a Wellington Native, that Mr Watt, of Dunedin, sentenced him to seven days solitary confinement, and he was kept three weeks for refusing to work. 2. That he was only a quarter of an hoar a day in fresh air. 3. That he was ordered to work, but refused, as his sentence had expired. 4. That after he had been three weeks in the cell, he was brought before Mr Brown, and asked why ho refused to

obey the orders of the Governor of the Gaol. He replied: ‘My hard-labour sentence has expired ; I am doing my lime for nyy bail.’ fi. That he was marched back to his cell, and confined four weeks, makieg seven weeks ip all. 6 That his eyesight was affected by Ifie confinement, and when he vised to he taken out for fresh air his whole bofiy shook as if he had been drinking heavily, 7. That he was sentenced in Taranaki to two months’ hard labour and 12 months’ bail. 8. That he was kept nearly three months longer in gaol than the term he was sentenced. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, intituled ‘The Justices of the Peace Act, 1866.’ F. Simeon. Declared at the city of Wellington, this 7th day of January, 1881, before me, E. W. Mills, J.P.” I, Agnes Simeon, wife of Frederick Simeon, of the city of Wellington, tailor, do solemnly sincerely declare —1. That I visited in Wellington Harbour the Hinemoa on Monday, 3rd January, when Tipene Te Rua, an aboriginal Native, lately confined in Lyttelton Gaol, voluntarily, and without asking him any question previously spoke to me in the Maoii language, which I perfectly understand, to the following effect ,— ‘ Look at me in days past. When last you saw me, I had the face of a healthy man ; but now I have the face of a corpse—through having been ill-treated while in gaol; what with the boots, and what with the guns, I was perfectly helpless and dare not murmur. I took ill at the commencement of November, but did not at first complain; but gradually getting worse, I complained of not having the strength to lift the barrow full of stones. I continued to complain, and the overseer said it was only humbug, and I was lazy, and they kicked me and pushed me with their rifles, and always threatened if I did not work I would be put in the dark ceil, 1 held out as long as possible, and at last I said‘Put me anywhere as long as my bones can rest, and let me die peacefully I was taken to the cell, and when Mr Parris saw me said, ‘I am going to take you back to Taranaki.’ I replied, ‘Let me stop where I am—l shall die on the voyage ’ ; but Mr Parris insisted upon my leaving.” 2 And I further declare that before this was said to me, a gentleman, for whom my husband hud advertised and who wasjon the steamer, told me the old man, meaning Tipene Te Rua, had been trying to tell him something which he did not understand, and asked me to interpret for him ; and when Tipene Te Rua had finished 1 repeated to him the old man’s statement, which he requested ihe to put in writing and forward to him, and he would have the matter seen to ; and he gave live his name and address upon a piece of paper, which I unfortunately lost ; and I mentioned what had occurred to my husband. 3. And I further declare that I was not present when Tipene Te llm’s statement was taken before Mr Halse. the magistrate ; hut it was read over to mo afterwards, and when I found it contradicted all he had previously told me, my husband, in my presence, requested Mr Halse to allow me to put a straightforward, question to Tipene Te Rua, namely, Did he or did he not tell me he had been illtreated in the Lyttelton Gaol! but Mr Halse refused to allow the question to be put. 4. And I further declare that in my presence, and in that of my said husband, John Huff, another aboriginal Native lately confined in Dunedin Gaol said it was all true wliat my husband bad written about him, and that he had read the letter. 5. And I further declare that upon going up from where Mr Halse was taking the examination to the steamer’s deck I mentioned to the other Maori prisoners then on deck that the old man had contradicted what he had told mo about his ill-treatment, when they replied m Maori to me : ‘ It is our fault : we persuaded the old man not to make any complaint, as we were still in the clutches of the Govern ment, and did not know what might happen.’ And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, intituled ‘ The Justices of the Peace Act, 1866.’ Agnes Simeon. Declared at the city of Wellington, this 9th day of January, 1881, before me, Philip Mobllbk, J. P.”