The Opunake Murder. [BY TELEGRAPH Star's special.] A Maori Arrested.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1314, 30 November 1880, Page 2

The Opunake Murder. [BY TELEGRAPH Star's special.] A Maori Arrested.

Nkw Plymouth, SaturdayTiie coach from Opunake just arrived and I learnt that the Maori in custody is a young man named Tohia. A pah' of trous"rs known to belong- to him were found rolled up and hid under a flhx bush near where the terrible struggle took place. They where bespattered with blood. And nearly torn to pieces, and a ■n'oken bridle belonging to the native was also found close by. Tohia was trying to purchase a pair of ti-ouseis ou the afternoon of the murder at Opunake, and was also k own to have lodt a bridle on Thursday, but said he broke it in the flax bushes.

RECORDS OF THE DEATH STRUGGLE. Traces of blood are found at Te Ngamio close to the road, and the murdered lady seems to hive escaped her assailaut and ran some distmoe, but was overtaken and lulled, The surrounding flax bushes are much bespattered and there are several pools of blood.

The Body Not Violated. Wellington, Stturday. The body of the murdered Mis* Dobie was not violated. The following particulars of the man Stannard arrested on suspicion have been received by the Government. He had resided in Hawera for the past twelve months' and had been engajred as billiard-marker in one of the hotf Is there for s <me time, and also was employed as clerk to a Butchering Company. It is s lid that he arrived at Lyttleton about three years ago a3 mate of a ship.

ILvwEitA, Saturday. The inquest was opened at Opunake, but adjonrnod till thi> afternoon. Stannavd is still in custody, and oue Maori has also been arrested. Te Namii, the t-cenß of the murder, is within two miles of Opunake, ou the main road to New Plymouth. It is on the bank of a creek near an old flax-mill. Mr C. "VVr.iy, coroner, reached hore from Patea last night. The inquest tikes place to-diy.

FAVORABLE OPINIONS uF STANNARD. Several Hawera residents have airived at Opun.ike to prove that the blooa stains on Frank Stannnvd avo aoonunted for from his se(KU'atiu^ two drnuken men liurhtins^ in Hawera this week, who were bleeding profusely. It is rumoured that Stanuard is released, and that two Maoris are arrested, but this requires confirmation. Sfcaunard was married only on Sunday last.

POSSIBILITY OF MAORIES BEINO IHE MUHUERERS. M.xny old military settlers believe that if the murder had been committed by native^ it pu^se^es political significance. The Munis have been pre&sing the sale of hor-.es, cifctle, and produce lately, by Te Whiti'H orders, to laibo money to purchase food for Parihakc.

(BY TEI/EGBAPII, PKUSS ASSOCIATION.) Further Particulars. STRONG SUSPICION AGAINST THE MAORI. The Tavauaki IhrahVs special telegraphs I—A1 — A pair of pints much torn and smeared with blood w<is found yesterd ly concealed in a flax buih close by the spot of the murder; al-o part of au old bridle npwly broken. So intense is the excitement at Opunake that crowds of people are seen all day long going to and fro to the scene of the murder. News has just been received that the counter of the broken bridle has b^en found this morning, he " Herald' 1 says a report reached town this afternoon that one native has baen arrested fln suspicion. An order was received from the authorities to semi on several Resident M i%it>rr«ito indictable forms, and al-o Johuson'x "Justice of the Peace," from which we infer that it is probable one or move of the peisnns under arrc-t will be committed under the Coroner's wanant.

A MAORI CHIEF'S OPINION, Wo he.ird that Wiremu Kinjri, of Remivu.j, was taken *o set 3 the body of the unfortunate y<>unjf 1 idy, :md wis asked his opinion to whether it was tho act of a Maori. The old chiof shook !n> he.ul find replu-d in th« nog itive, ••J.ying that Mdorics did not kill in ( hat way. Dr. Gibbe^ (Lite of Napier;, i^ the coronor.

The Inquest. Oi'tJNAKK, Sunday, The iuqupsfc on the body of the inurdeiwl Mi->s Dobio w.is commenced at 12 o'clock nn Saturday, and prooecued until midnight, when it was adjourned until Monday inorniii'r. Inspector J:nne« and .Soig'eant - Major Bullcn live cnurlu^tinu: the c as-isted by tier a r e<int Cahill and others.

THE ACCUSED NATIVE. The ovide 1 oc is not favour iblo to Tuliia (thoiritive auvst°d ru suspicion). On the day of the murder ho was so*ni riding in the diiection Missl>obif> went. Ap lirof moleskin trousers, saturated with blood, found withiu Three yards of the body, were sworn to he similar to what pri-oner wonrs. The trousers he wore w en arrested had blood on them, and hum m Ivnv corro-ponling in colour and texture to deceased. Pi isoner is supposed to nave had two piirs of trousois ou, a moleskin outside refenvd to, which he is supposed to have thrown away, corresponding with the one found. Hone Pihama's people wero passing by the scene, when his daughter exclaimed, '• Thare is a horse, saddle, and bridle." 2\o pei son was noticed at the time, but, subsequently, hearing of the crime, Hove at once, in company with Mr Huisthouse and Colonel Roberts, proceeded to the spot, and strange to say, where the herse was tied, turned out to be nearly the exact s,jot were the body wao found. The hor«e is proved to be a, black one, and a similar one was ridden by the prisoner oti that day on hia transit to Opunake, A knife bearing signs of blood was found near the same place, with T.H. on the handle, which looks like his. Another telegram received by a gentleman in Wellington says : — "There is not a tittle of evidence against Sfcannard, but very strong against the native." Colonel Reader received the following telegr m this morning from . Inspector Jame*, who is conducting the case: "The inquest wan adjourned at 12 last night until 8 to-morrow morniuqr, Twentythree witue^ses were ex mined. There is strong circumstantial evidence against the Maori Tuhia."

TSE EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. The following is an abstract of the evidence taken yesterday at the inquest :—: — Twenty-six witnesses were examined. A large number, including the doctor, are yet to be examined. The inquest began at noon. Major Goring, Inspector-in-Charge at Opunake, deposed : Miss Mary Dobie was a spinster. I last saw her on the morning of the 23th. Her body was found by a search party at 9 30. The body was lying about a mile and a quarter from Opunake, and was cold. Deceased wore little jewellery, and did not carry much

cash, and what she wore was found on the body. Her clothes were much disarranged. At this stage prisoners— the European Stannard, and Tuhia, alias Te Kana, (a Maori) — wore brought in and charged with murder. Wilson Hursthouse was sworn as interpreter, and the evidence taken was translated and read to both prisoners. Mr Eyes, foreman of the jury, deposed : I saw Miss Dobie buy a pencil and have it sharpened at the store on the 25th, and proceed along the Opunake road. I saw the Maori prisoner about half an hour later ruling a black horse in the same direction. I observed that the prisoner had apparently two pairs of trousers on, old ragged moleskins being outside. I wondered where he was going riding so fast. I saw him later at my whare, about 4£ miles south of Opunake. The prisoner appeared frightened. He saw me. Thomas Reilly, laborer, deposed : I left my work, about 6 miles north of Opunake, to come to town for provisions. I arrived there about 2.30. I met Constable McGrath and prisoner Stannard on the road about 1)> miles from where the body was found. I did not meet a lady on the road. At 4.40 I returned to my place of abode. On my return I met Stannard leading a horse and riding a bay horse. The led horse was restive. Constable McGrath deposed : I left Opunake with Stannard, and passed a young lady with two black dogs about 40 yards from the telegraph-office. I travelled with Stannard about eight miles. I saw no blood on Stannard at that time. I arrived at Bishop's, Whitiora, about 3.30. Constable Wilson deposed : There was a h it underneath the body when found. A pair of trouser-. were found in a flax hu-h about three yards from the body. They were cut and much stained with blood. The trousers produced are much cut and stained Constable Townsend deposed : I was P'esent when Hicitey found the hat, and when the bridle was found. The bridle waR produced. Constable McGrath had stated there was no bridle on Stannard's led horse. Mounted-Constable Handed deposed : I met Stannard on the 25th near Te Ngarrrn leading one horse and riding another. There was no bridle on the led horse. About 5 p.m. I was searching for Miss Dobie, and coo-ed several times, and noticed the dog-!. They came *rom where the body was afterwards found. < 'oustable T.iylor deposed : I know Tuhia. I noticed him on the 2<3th with two pair of trousers on. The inside trousers were like dark tweed. One of the trousers c-une so low down that I could not see the cut on the ankle. The prisoner then had a light coat on, not like the piesent one. Tuhia here paid : No, thia is not the coat I then wore. Mr Eyres recalled, deposed : 1 do not recognise the rro users produced as Tuhia's His were not so much torn then. Constable Shearman deposed that he saw Tuhia wearing a pair of very ragged tAveed trousers about 6 a.m. at Opunake on the 25th instant. He had only one pair on then. It would not be necessary for him to come along the main road and reach Opunrke from Te Ngamu. Prisoner Avas then riding a black horse. Caroline Paki deposed : On the 2oth I was coming from Parihaka in the afternoon. I saw a black horse tied up near Te Ngamu. I saw no one near the horse. The hotel-keeper at Opunake would know the time. Ido not know the time. The horse produced is very much like the horse 1 taw near the scene of the murder, al the second bridge from here. I did not see it come on to the road. Hone Pihatna deposed : I tirst heard Tuhia speak behind us on Thursday afternoon, when I was driving into Opunake. He asked me on arrival to buy him a pair of trousers. I did not buy him a pair. I cannot say whether, when Tuhia first spoke he was on foot or on horseback. 11. Middleton, hotelkaeper, Opunake, depofee i : t believe Tuhia had two pairs of trouseis on. I think after dinner he said he wintcd to go to To Ngamu for a hoise. I did not '•cc him asrain until 4. ?> ). When Hone Pih.im.i nrrivecl, the prisoner a-ked for a fla^k of brandy, which lv x look into the stable, and broke it. He kept on asking me to give him a pair of moleskins. Hj also asked me to 1 n 1 him a bridle, as his was broken. Pnson°r appeared gu ts sober. Prisoner did noc ask for the tiousns before returning ivith Hono I'ihania. Martin Coff.T, storekeeper, deposed : Believed the rioters pio'ucod (No. 2) wh'Te the pair Tnhi i iv.b wealing. Miss n obm came in and bought a pencil from my --hop. Tuhia app"ared under the influence of liquor. [The evidence given by this witn^s corroborated -what was pi r -»iout>lv adduce! ] L Harvey, servant at the hotel, de-po-ed : I saw Tuhia about 1 ' o'clock on Thursday. He was there on foot I saw him frequ j ntly until 1 p.m., twt not later t'!l the e\ enintr, when h" c un • to the stable for a bridle. I lent him an old bridle, bnb net one of the broken pieces produced eorre-po id with the one I lent him. He had trouseift on similar to the cut onos pioduced. I fh\st noticed his dress at 11 a.m. in crossing. Constable Knowles deposed : We brought Tuhia from Panihu on Friday. I did not search the prisoner. We halted three timca. The last tune the prisoner could have got rid of anything. F. Hickcy deposed : I am ] I years old. I found a knife with one blade on near the place where Constable Knowles said he stopped with the Maori prisoner yesterday about 17 yards from the exact place. I feaw blood on the knife when I picked it up ; my father said it was a bloody knife. It had*"T.H." cut on the handle. Constable Knowles corroborated. The father of the boy Hickey gave similar evidence. Dr. Carey deposed : 1 received the knite produced, and it has what I take to be bloodstains on the blade. I produce it in the state I received it. The prisoner is a tall, fine-looking man, about 20, and is now down-hearted and has been crying. It is said that the cut in the collar of the dress worn by Miss Dobie exactly corresponds with the blade of the strong brown-handled knife found and produced to-day. A stained blanket has been picked up in an old whare at Te Ngamu. The doctor's evidence will be taken to-morrow. Blood has been found on the knee and seat o e the lost pair of tweed ti-onsei's found on Tuhia to-day. Careful search of the ground is being made, and a coat has been found which is supposed to belong to Tuhia. There are no particulars about this yet. Stannard accounts for the blood on his coat by his horse having bit him after blistering iss nose. The horse's nose was certainly bleeding. f Constable Day gave evidence that a large stain was found on the moleskin trousers found, which correspond with, and was such as would be caused by a sore, which is still running on Tuhia's ankle.