THE TRIAL OF KEREOPA.-HORRIBLE DISCLOSURES.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 65, 21 December 1871, Page 3

THE TRIAL OF KEREOPA.-HOR-RIBLE DISCLOSURES.

The preliminary trial of Ivereopa commenced at Napier on December 11, before B. Sealy, Esq., R.M., and J. A. Campbell, Esq., R.M. The trial was continued on the 12th, when the prisoner was fully committed to take his trial at the Supreme Court, on December 21st, on a charge of murdering the Rev Air A’olkner. A\ e give below the leading points of evidence taken by the magistrates: deposed : I saw the prisoner in 1865 at Te Teka. lie urged the people of that place to become llauhaus. It was in the spring of 1865. He went from To Teka to AVliakatane. lie asked the natives of that place to give up the Roman Catholic priests that he might kill them. They did not agree to it. Kereopa then went to Opotiki. He asked the chiefs there to let him have Air Volkncr that lie might kill him. I myself heard him do so. Mokomoko, one of the chiefs, agreed to do it. Alokomoko was hung by the Europeans at the Wairoa. The day after I heard Kereopa make the demand I started for a place called Tc Pino. I returned the same day. AVlien 1 got back I saw the people assembling in a church. Then I saw Kereopa with Air A’olkner’s head, lie was standing in the pulpit. It was wrapped in calico. Then I saw him gouge out Air Volkncr’s

eyes. The right eye was in his right hand, and the left eye in his left hand. Then I saw him put the right eye into his mouth and swallow it. I then saw him put the left eye in his mouth. It stuck in his throat, He drank something that I thought was water, till I saw the blood running down his chin. After I saw Kcrcopa with the head I saw the body lying outside the church. My brother wrapped it up in a blanket.—Piliana Tiwliai deposed : I live at Opotiki. I saw him and Patara at Opotiki. The prisoner had a basket with him with a European’s head in it. The first words that I heard him say were, “ Friends, this is a word from my God to you: II: any minister or other European comes to this place, do not protect him ; lie must die ! die ! die !” Patara said next, “ 1 am come to bring the. new god to you. This is the true god. If a minister or European come within these boundaries lie shall not be spared.” I kncwMrVolkncr. He arrived about five days after Kcrcopa and Patara had come to Opotiki. lie came by vessel. The vessel came lip the river and lay close against the bank. As soon as the vessel came alongside, the Taranaki natives tied up the Europeans, including Mr Volkncr and Mr Grace, and led them away to the gaol. 1 saw the whole transaction. I mean by thcTaranaki natives, Kcrcopa and Patara, and those that came with them. Next tiling I saw was Mr Volkncr being led away. 1 could not sec who the native was who was leading him; I was too far off. It was one of the Taranaki natives. My wife said to me, “ Don’t follow them : they are putting Volkncr to death.” I went away to a mill near. In tho evening, I returned. I was told that. Air Volkncr was killed, and was shown where liis body was. Tho body bad on black trousers, 1 loots, and white shirt. There was no head on it. I asked Keroopa to let me have the body, to bury it. He said, “ Let the fowls of the air and the reptiles of the earth cat it.” (The witness here gave some very disgusting details oE the treatment the corpse subsequently received.) I saw Mr Yolkner’s head,, and that of another European, afterwards at Opotiki in a tent.— E. Pibapono deposed : I saw Ivereopa at AVliakatane. on March 21. Kcrcopa said, “ If I go to Opotiki, and find a minister there, I will kill him,” He then started for Opotiki. The people from Taranaki, and also the AVliakatane people, went with him. Air Volkncr arrived at Opotiki two days after Kcrcopa. The vessel was taken possession of, and the Europeans made prisoners. When Kcrcopa arrived it was dinner-time, and he (witness) heard Kcrcopa say “ that Air Volkncr was to be given up, killed, and eaten.” On the following day they all assembled in the church. 1 was in the house, and saw Kcrcopa in tho pulpit with a war-club in bis hand. Then 1 heard him say “that Air Volkncr should die on this day, and that his eyes should be eaten, and, if any one refused to obey his orders, he would cut their heads off ; his tribe would be destroyed, and their houses burnt.” The same day Kcrcopa said, “ Go and fetch Air Volkncr.” The soldiers then went out, and I followed them. I afterwards saw the soldiers who had Air Arolkner in their charge. I stopped outside the church. I saw the soldiers hand Air Volkner’s head into the church. Ilis head was wrapped in calico. 1 saw the blood oozing out of the calico. At this time Kereopa was in the church. Kcrcopa carried the head about telling them not to be frightened to eat it. lie said that the whole of the tribe who refused to eat part of the head would be destroyed. 1 mean by soldiers, the men that accompanied Kcrcopa and Patara. —AViremu Paki, sworn, deposed : I remember when Kereopa came to Opotiki in March, 1865. Air Volkncr was then absent in Auckland. The first thing the Taranaki natives did was to rob Air Volkncr’s house. Kereopa said Air A’olkner was to be killed. At the time of Air Volkner’s arrival Kcrcopa was inland. The vessel when it arrived was robbed, and the Europeans put in gaol. Kereopa returned on the arrival of Air A’olkner. Kereopa then sent some people to bring Air A’olkner from the gaol, that was my house. (The names of some of the party were given.) Kereopa was also with them. Air A’olkner was brought to tho church. After the talk was done there, he was led off to be hung. Ivereopa gave orders to take him to a tree and hang him. The last I saw of Air Volkncr was when he was being led to the tree. I went to my plantation ; when I returned Air A’olkner was hanging on the tree. I went straight to my own house. After a short time I returned to the church, and saw Air A’olkner’s body lying outside it, without the head. Ihnuraira Kan cut the head off. Kereopa told him to do it. The head was put into the church through the window. Kereopa placed the head on the table before him, and took out the two eves with his two hands. He .said, “ Listen, O tribe, this is the Parliament of England.” Then lie swallowed the eyes. After this the head was carried round to all the people in the house. I went out. I saw the body.—AA’i Hura deposed : Kereopa gave instructions to fetch -Air A'olkner to the church. Shortly afterwards lie ordered him to be hung, Mr A'olkner was then

taken to a tree, and there hung. Kereopa was alongside of the tree. After Mr Volkner had been hanging to the tree an hour, his body was lowered by the order of Kereopa. The body was then taken to the church. Kereopa told them to gouge out the eyes. The eyes were gouged out, and Kereopa ate them. I did not sec who gouged the eyes out, but I saw Kereopa swallow them. After he had eaten the eyes, he ordered the head to be cut off. The head was then handed into the church and Kereopa handed it around, and portions of it were eaten by the people.—Renata deposed : Two Jews, besides Mr Volkner and Mr Grace, arrived in the same vessel. After the vessel arrived he went inland and saw Kereopa there. He was telling the people that he had received a message from his god that he was to kill Mr Volkner. I went back to Opotiki. After I arrived I saw Mr Volkner led from a whare to the church. Kereopa was alongside of Mr Volkner. I did not go into the church. The next thing I saw was Mr Volkner being led from the church to a tree. Kereopa was a few yards behind Mr Volkner. Kereopa had Mr Volkner’s watch and waistcoat on, and

Mr Volkncr liacl on a shirt and trousers. I saw them lead Mr Volkner lip to a bush. After that I went to my own place on the opposite side of the river. I stopped at my place some time. When I got back I saw Mr Volkncr’s head in the church. I looked in at the window. I saw the head on the table, and the two eyes in Keropa’s hand. Ivereopa offered them first to his God, and then ate them himself. Kercopa had seagull feathers stuck in his hair.—Ranapia Te Waikaku deposed : I heard Kereopa give orders that the vessel should be robbed, and the Europeans in it tied up. When the party came down, I got frightened and ran away to a place called Tarawa, in the neighbourhood. I saw Mr Volkner afterwards at Paki’s house, where they were confined. Mr Volkner asked me where his people were. I said they were away at work. He said to me, “Re strong in the day of trial.” The day after I saw a party coming from Opotiki to put Mr Volkner to death, of whom Kereopa was one. I then went away again, f don’t know how many there were in the party. There were a great number. Next time I saw Mr Volkncr he was hanging on a willow. I was at Tarawa at the time. I saw Kereopa on that day. lie wore feathers on his head ; partly peacock’s and partly seagull’s feathers. I heard him say continually for three days, “ The Europeans must be killed.” He spoke of hanging as the method in which they should be killed. I did not go into the church afterwards. Paora Taia deposed : I heard Kereopa say, “ Listen, Whakatohea. Mr Volkner has come, and he must die. This is the Parliament of England.” This was said outside the Roman Catholic church. There is another church, the Church of Zion. In it I heard Kereopa say, “ Listen, Whakatohea. Volkner must die this day ; let no one disobey the orders. If anyone docs, the whole tribe will be destroyed.” On hearing Kereopa say this, I went away to my own place. I came back the same day. I went into the church and saw a head, which I recognised as Mr Volkncr’s, lying on a tabic, which was used as a sacred place. Kereopa was standing at the table. I was there also.

1 saw Kereopa take out Mr Volkner’s eyes, and, holding up one, say, “I will eat it. Tin's is the Parliament of England.” I saw him also drink something out of a mug, but I did not know what it was. He afterwards explained the nature of the Ilauhau ceremonies, and said that they must spare no white men except Jews.— Ilori Wetcre Tc Motuterc deposed : Kcrcopa asked the people of Te Toko to let him have a European named Aubrey, a miller there, to kill him. They did not give him up. They went'next to Wliakatano. There they asked the people to give them up the Catholic priest Grange, to kill him. They did not agree to do so. They next went to Opotiki. I went into the church. I saw there the head lyingon the tabic, and Kereopa with one of Mr Volkner’s eyes in each hand. He said “These are the eyes that have looked upon the destruction of this island. I will eat them. He has eaten me, and I will now cat him. He crucified me and 1 will crucify him.” Then he swallowed the eves. He drank something out of a pannikin. 1 don’t know what it was. He then said, “ All men, women, and children must eat of this sacrifice.” I jumped out of the window and ran away.—Hautakuru, being sworn, deposed : I live at Waiotahi. I remember the arrival of Kereopa and the Taranakis at Opotiki, in 1805. Kereopa explained the Ilauhau religion, and laid off boundaries. “ Whatever European comes within these boundaries,” he said,

“whether minister or otherwise they shall be killed.” After this Mr Volkner arrived, and was taken to gaol by Kcreopa’s orders. I heard him give them. They then assembled at the Roman Catholic church. Kereopa said, “Listen! Mr Volkner must die this day.” I went home. I came back some time afterwards, and found the people all assembled near the church. I was at the doorway.

I heard Kereopa say then again, “Mr Volkner must die this day.” lie then sent a party to fetch Mr Volkner. Keramita, Kahupaia, Hakaraia, and Kereopa himself, were of the party. I remained in the doorway, and saw them leading up Mr Volkner. Kereopa had Mr Volkner’s clothes, When they got to the doorway of the church Kereopa ordered some men to lead him to execution. The words he used were, “ Come, some people, and lead Mr Volkner to kill him.” The same persons that went to fetch him on the former day led him away together with Kereopa and the whole population. They were Taranakis. Kereopa was close behind Mr Volkner when he was being led away, within a yard of him.—The prisoner was then asked if he wished to say anything for himself. He declined to do so. The prisoner was then committed for trial before the Supreme Court, on the 21st instant.