MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1939, Page 8

MAORI MEMORIES

THE EVER-SACF’HD LAW .OF UTU. (Recorded by J.U.S. for ‘’Times-Age.”) That most striking attribute of Maori superstitious belief Utu (ransom, reprisal, retribution) has never been understood by the Pakeha. whoso only conception of its meeting is ’’money." Its spiritual significance was more deeply impressed upon the Maori mind and nature than the supremo quality' of “Mercy" in our Christian ethics. About ’4B cr ’4O all Europeans here were gravely concerned by a terrible mur'ler which had taken place within a few miles of Wellington village. The perpetrator of the crime, so far without parallel in this colony, was a Maori, who served a sentence of three months goal for a theft which he did not commit. Faulty translation caused his conviction. He remarked quite casually that he would comply with the sacred law and sacrifice one Pakeha for each Marama (moon) herehere (lockup). The actual thief was a friend, whose name. Maori honour would not permit him to disclose. At Porirua, originally Pourirua (the pit of darkness), on the evening of his release he walked into the kitchen of a settler who was unknown to him and asked for an ember to light his pipe. As the good man leaned over the fire to comply, the Maori’s stone patu cleft his skull. He then went to the bedroom and killed two children. This to every Maori was Utu, not Kohuru (murder) for which their aversion was most pronounced.

In the dock he frankly admitted the facts and reiterated his innocence of the theft. He stepped to the platform and waved an adieu to his people. The real thief produced the stolen articles and admitted his own guilt.