THE WEST COAST OBSTRUCTIONISTS. TRIAL OF TE WHITI AND HIS FOLLOWERS. Sentence of Imprisonment.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2223, 7 October 1886, Page 2

THE WEST COAST OBSTRUCTIONISTS. TRIAL OF TE WHITI AND HIS FOLLOWERS. Sentence of Imprisonment.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— OWX COURESrONDENr. I Wku iX(.rox, Wednesday. The charges against the Maori prisoners wore heard at the Supreme Court thk morning. There were two indictments,, the first with two counts of forcible entry, and the second for malicious injury to> property. Mr W. L. Rees explained that he had come down to defend the prisoners, but Te Whiti refused to have anything done, and consequently he had no option but to withdraw. Some difficulty wasexperienced in getting Te Whiti to answer tho indictment, but finally he pleaded "guilty" and one after another, Tito Kowaru and the others followed. All of thorn used pretty nearly the same wjrds, "To Whiti is my lord and and he has said all there is to say." Te Whiti made a briof statement before senteuce was pronounced, to the ctfect that he was the original ownci of the land and had morely put forth his hand to regain it. Alluding to the wording of the indictment, he said he had not been turned off peaceably but with gun^. In answer to the Judge, the Crown Prosecutor said he had no instructions from the Attorney-General as to proceeding with the second indictment. The Judge then left the bench for a short time, and on returning s>aid he felt great difficulty in allotting a proper sentence. They must have known their acts were little short of levying war against the Crown. He felt bound to say that if any future charge of a similar nature were proved against them the court would probably bo called upon to inflict a much heavier sentence. Te Whiti was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined £100, and the rest to one month's imprisonment and fined £20 on each count, the sentences to run concurrently.

Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co., will sell at the Commercial Yards,, on Wednesday next, dairy cows, pigs, produce, potatoes, nO useful horses of various kinds. On Saturday, the Kith inst., they will b ell at Cambridge, fat and store cattle, dairy cows, sheep, poultry, produce, potatoes, 50 useful hordes, drays, hanms-,, & c . On Tuesday the l'Jth in.st., they will hold thm iir^t cattle fair at Ohaupo, when they will offer 1000 head, as por list in advertisement. On Monday, the 25th, they will !h>ld thenusual monthly .sale at Ng.iruawahia, when about 300 head of cattle will bo yarded.