GISBORNE NEWS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 11625, 31 October 1887, Page 2

GISBORNE NEWS.

«. TE KOOTI'S FBOPOSSD VISIT. A MAOBI WOMAN BUBNED TO DEATH. PER UNITED PRESS AaGOOtATIOiT. Gisbobhb, October £9. Major Porter, Officar commanding the volunteers of tho Bast Coast, 'in addressing the men on parade, said : Although there was co immediate cause for alarm; he thought it was beat; to warn them in oase their services should be required. He had, on for user occasions, done all in his pjwtir to dissuade Te Kooti from coming here and would use hia utmost endeavours in a like direction; In the present iuatance, Te Kooti, however, had on a recent occasion come as far as To Beinga whioh w»s the boundary line of hia (Major Porter's) district, and on fiuding that to be the case he had turned back, saying he would not break the pledge be had given not to visit his district. Several native chiefs had waited on him and asked his reasons for objecting to Te Kooti coming here; He feared an attempt would be made on his life: There were several people who had had near relatives mafisaored ; and they were determined to shoot'Te Kooti, If Te Eooti happened to be shot dear 1 , he did not ontioipate any disturbance of a serious character. But if he was fired at, and the shot did not take effect, the result would be that possibly a panic would be created, owing to an attempt at retaliating. The natives have great faith in Te Kooti aa a prophet. They are going so far as to say that if a bullet is lodged in his body h would not harm him ; therefore, if he was shot dead, his followers would, no doubt, be pacified, as tbeir faith on him would be considerably shaken. Major Porter said he had beeu informed that should Te Kooti come here, he would be accompanied by about 300 Waikatos and that the intended visit would be in Deoember, He and Te Kooti were old enemies, and if he should come, and be the means of causing trouble, he(Major Pot(er)ahould very quickly take the opportunity of settling matters with him. The Government, however, would use every means to' prevent him ooming here, and he would also do bo, as he had done on previous occasions. A Maori \vomau,naaied Koko Kakawi, was burned to death at Te Euro, near Awinui on Tuesday night, during the absence of her husband at a tangi over Hore Vvakena. The woman usually kepc a light; burning consisting of fatI The lamp was manufactured out of some shell vegetable. It was suppasad to have caught the bed-olcthes, and the woman waa suffocated with smoke, as she did not appear to make any attempt to escape. A Maori living near saw the whare ablaze, but arrived too late to save the woman.