MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1939, Page 4

MAORI MEMORIES

PRISONERS OF WAR. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) Strangely inconsistent with the horror and tragedy of modern war and slaughter, there still persists a strange anomaly in the "honours of war to be observed in regard to prisoners of war.” The Earl of Pembroke, who was an incognito member of the force which pursued Te Kooti after the Poverty Bay Bassacre, relates a most unusual departure from this “code of honour." The incident \vas apparently such a reflection upon the honour of the British. that it was not reported in the Press. An unnamed settler whose wife and child had been murdered and mutilated in the Poverty Bay affair, joined the force in pursuit of the perpetrators. In an early engagement twelve of the fugitives were captured and held as prisoners of war. One night the grief stricken husband acted as guard over them. He asked them casually if they had taken part in the massacre. Never thinking they had anything to fear from the admission, they answered in the affirmative. Knowing that as prisoners of war they would be, treated with the utmost leniency, he presented two revolvers and shot the lot. Had a Maori shot a white man as Utu (satisfaction) it would be quite Tika (correct) in their eyes, but we would have hanged him for murder. Ropata, who was the loyal leader of the Maori expedition against Te Kooti (pronounce it" Coaly”) said to the General: “If we catch him, of course they will make him a Judge. The last two rebels caught, you made Assessors, but Te Kooti is a man of much higher rank, so you must put him on the bench of the Supreme Court. But if I catch him you won’t,” he added with a. grin.