The Waikato Times. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 24, 1877.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 732, 24 February 1877, Page 2

The Waikato Times. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 24, 1877.

The statement that found its way into the Press that the murderer, Patui, is a relative of Mrs. Morgan, is incorrect. The murderer, who is a mere tuhua, or nobody, belongs to the Ngatinaho and N^gatiapokura tribes, formerly residing at Rangiaohia. Mrs. Morgan is the halfcaste niece of the well-known rangitira Hone te one, of Kawhia, chief of the Ngatikaro tribe. Te Patui, it seems, made the same statement to Major Mair — -that he killed Morgan because the latter used abusive language, to him and swore at ' him at meals ; but it is scarcely probable that such was the motive for the act. At one time to curse a native was to offer an insult that could only be wiped out m blood; but native feeling on this point, like that pf our own present generation m relation to the social usages of the preceding one m such matters, has softened down, and the provocation must be very gross, and the temper of the insulted native very impetuous, to demand sugh' i( utu." Besides, Te Patui is a mere lad,snc| therefore stdl less likely to possess the feelings oh such matters as a Maori of the old school might possibly do. It is a great deal more .likely, that feeling keenly the disgrace of imprisonment, he was, m killing Morgan, taking utu for the indignity of imprisonment put upon him, and that it was all the same to him who he killed, whether Morgan or the warder, or any other white man. Had he taken this payment and escaped to the King country, he would, m the eyes of his fellow countrymen, have wipel out the disgrace of imprisonment, An occasional correspondent, m informing us that the operator at the Te Awamutu station, as well as fyjr Eoberts, of Alexandra, was awakjßnjs4by the telegraph calls from Hgarua^abja, and at about bhe same time, says that, before 11 a'clock on Tuesday night the sergeant of the Armed Constabulary Force at Te Awamutu despatched a mounted constable to Kihikihi with

.orlevs to tarn out what men were 411.ere. " As there was bufc one man 'left? at Te Awamutu, Meisrs,. John, arid Robert Roche volunteered thji^ services, and pi-oceeded<-to'the poiiitp pf watch allotted to thern.:^ That:" *the roads were well wafcohed m that ! .^arfc is apparent from the fact that Mr Good fellow, on hia^-'way to Hamilton, at 3 m the morning to catch the steamer, was somewhat surprised at having' his bridle-rein seized, and, being challenged with " who goes there," by., Constable Uloth and Mr' Roche. Great praise, indeed, is due to the* settlers of Ngaruawahia, .■Alexandra; and Te Awamutu for the manner m which they turned: out of their beds, many of them, to effect a capture which was one of the smartest things of< the kind' yet effected iri the colony!., especially at Ngaruawahia wa^'this evidence of zeal manifest. Massrs. Hedger and'Kay^.of that place, were only a quarter of an hour behind tb'e murderer, and came up as he was being (tied, having- followed ; the tracks ab'put 30 miles m the night. . ..',' '■■''' From a. passenger who went down by coach to town on Thursday, we learn that the prisoner was taken outside the coach at Newcastle. The passengers objected strongly to having him among them. He was handcuffed and fastened by a rope round the .waist to the rails. He made a hearty dinuer at Rangiriri, and seemed to enj oy his ; ride, and did not appear to appreciate lais position properly. . A, large crowd had collected to meet him at the Auckland station, but they were disappointed, as the, constables, with their charge, got off at Newmarket.