MR RUSDEN'S CHARGES.

Observer, Volume 6, Issue 147, 7 July 1883, Page 243

MR RUSDEN'S CHARGES.

While -we feel confident that Mr Bryce -will covuo scathless out of the calumnies of Mrßusden, it is only right tint! (lie other side of the story should be given. The Whangnnui Yeoman publishes the tollowiug statement, for the correct translation of which it Touches, made by an old chief named T7ru, who was in the Tauranga-Ika pa tit the time of the alleged outrage: — "The tribes wore all gathered together at our pa, Tau-ranga-Ika, waiting for the enemy, the pakeha, to attack us. Tin-, surrounding country had been pretty, well looted by our foragers, when one day a number of our children, lads, belonging io Ngatiruanui, Tangahoe, and our own tribe, theISgarauru, left our camp unknown to us, and without the leave of their parents. They had heard from some of our people that there, weresome geese and sucking pigs running about a deserted settler's hou.se not far off. About twelve boys made up the party, and away they>tole off. When they reached the- house they saw the flock of geese before it, :ind.fjie pigs were close in the paddocks. One of the boys was directed by the others to climb on the house and keep a look out, while the others commenced to catch the geese. They suf:ceej|jfed in catching several geese, and I went into tli& empty house ,to pluck the feathers \

off. , . :j They Lad not been long at this wheu a bgdj < f^H troopers lode over an eminence vers. M'S^V.-'^H fnd fired at the boj on the "bouse, who'-was^etii^M s sentry. He slid off afc'oflce, and ran into J^^H scrub. Several more sliot.s Averd'fired at tlife but the lads inside thought the boys outside^^^^f tin-owing stones on the roof and sides^^^^^H were of iron ; but, as the noise incrcased,ji^^^^^| ran out, and found themselves ampngst^^^^^^^

-mounted 3fK»n n who, at once, began to. slash and cufcawiagr. at them as they ducked tinder the horses fca avoid the sword thrusts and the revolver ■ shots fised at them. The lads ran hither and thither;. . Two were' killed on the spot, and several were mp»Gi or less wounded ; but these with the others;! escaped the slaughter. One lad, about ten years- ol(^. was killed by a stroke from a sword that cut- his head in two halves, one half falling dow'ttrQYW hia shoulder ; he had some revolver shotsiithia chest and stomach besides. Another lad>aD«ra.ft twelve years old, was killed by many strokes; of a sword, and was much cut about, and shbfe wifck carbines. 1•■': 4, ' ,

"ETdfchear of those lads had arrived at the age of . ytubevtif. . Another boy, of about twelve /years of age r *..waa out 'over the head with a sword, andwould hare, been killed, only that he clasped his handa. above, and on Ms head to save himself.;/ but tike sword out off some of his fingers,; and, he feltafeitttt length under the horse's feet. ,The troope» then fired his revolver at him, and the ball penetrated his thigh, and then left him for dead*. This boy lived, and is alive. now. He is a. relatrVe.of mine, and lives at Papatupu ; his age now is 1 , about 26 or 27 years Another boy hid. in.; -.some water, like a little erawfisn. Several •were*. -"wounded, but they got away and hid. None o£ this young party had guns', pistols, tomahawks, or any weapons $ they may have had a pockefe*kai£e or so with them to cut flax. None ■ o£?:U3 afi the pa knew they had gone away hunting* and did not know of their absence until •we s»wc some of them returning, bleeding and crying-*' They then told us that the troopers had surprised them while plucking geese, and had ' killed -some of their number, wounding others.

-»' 1 Oar bearing ' this, we hastened to the scene of action: whore our children had fallen. On our ■wrajpfcUere we met more o£ our children returning, some, of them being wounded. At. length we canzeifeQ the bodies of the two dead lada and the one--wfio had been cut over the head and shot in thesleg; We carried them home to our pa, and burled fcko two dead lad 3, but the other one, as I liaversaid, recovered, and is alive now. This accounfcia a sfcriefcly true one, and can be verified by inanjc of the hundreds of men and women who savW the bodies. As I said before, none of these lad's. who formed the party had arrived at the age i ofr puberty. Trooper Maxwell was shot soon | aftecwaFds in a very foplish attempt to carry off j a; ffag-we had attaohed to our double partitioned | • iindceniffenohed pa. He met the fate of a brave men>bnk it was the act of a lot of fools to ride up '•'.'as* I hh&p Aid:, espebially after killing our little one 3 Tvho-only went out to catch a few geese."