The Murderer Hara.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 579, 5 February 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Murderer Hara.

It is remarkable, as Mr Charles Dickens ! afinted some years ago in " Household Word-*," th3t the demeanour of murderers aie exactly opposite to that ferocity of appear »nee which is generally expected in persons capable of the moat diabolic*! crimes. Tburtell w <s a man of pleasing countenance, Grt-enacre wore a serious f ice, spoke in favor of religion and morality, at the name time that he cheated his customers in weight and adulterated his tea, and Palmer was a fair, polite man, of moat gentlemanly exterior. We hardly expect to flnd a native of the Maori race to possess the gfnial features of the Anglo-^axon race with their fair hair and blue pyci, still some natives have a pleasing expression of countenance, and seem to wear a perpetual smile. Hara, or Harry Wynyard, was of this class, and during the periods of his employment at Mr Cleghorn's, was regarded as an inoff nsive kind of Maori, apart from hia one propensity to take the property of others, and for which propensity carried into effect, he suffered two separate terms of imprisonment m Mount Eden gaol, being committed from Ouehunga. Mr Cleghorn, in consequence of his inclination to appropiiate other people's goods to his own account, wished to be rid of him, but Hara intimated to MrCleghorn that if be did not know when he had got a good servant, ho (Haia) knew when he had got a eood master, and so Hara was Buffered to n main on the farm. at Epsom, when the youug man Packer was engaged, tlai a seemed to take to him, and apparently delighted to be aontinually in his company. ]n the evening they would retire into a certain part ot the house, and while the Misses ( leghoru played the pianoforte Packer who, like most Devonshire men, wus an excellent binder. would gratify Hara by his well turned aira. Haia was of a quiet turn though not habitually taciturn or sullen. This peculiarity, however, was ascubed to hia w»ut of a knowledge of tho English tongue, in which he seemed desirous of acquiring a moro perfect knowledge, than from any moodmesa of disposition, which a stranger might suppose he possessed. He was especially fond it accompanying the

yoi'»M,'cr ineinbeis of the family in their walks >n the more retired pirt9 of Epsom, but, as one of the young ladies »i.id, " We latlp thought he could commit a mu> dor or we should not have wont with him, for he might have killed us all." Packer and. Hare, even up to the ii'^ht prcLedinsj the awful event, appeared to be on the most friendly term* ; but H.ira knew that Padcer possessed acrrtnn amount of money, and he resolved, *h thos'TnficPfif life and liberty, io oo»s ds it ; hence he murder* d his friend.