THE HAURAUS IN THE NORTH.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2347, 26 July 1887, Page 2

THE HAURAUS IN THE NORTH.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. (Per Herald Correspondent). Wellington, Saturday. The Government to-day recived a telegram from Mr Bishop, R.M., giving an account of the affair between the police and the fanatical natives at, Okaihau. It appears to have been a very sharp business while it lasted. The following is the telegram ;—Yesterday at three p.m. I arrived in company with Inspector McGovern at Okaihau, where I met Win. Hearn, who then swore informations against 23 fanatics, 11 males and nine females, for an assault recently committed upon him. I forthwith issued warrants for the arrest of these parties, and handed them to Inspector McGovern for execution. I then swore eleven civilians as special constables, and these, with eight constables of the A.C. Force and two native constables, made up the party. We then proceeded after dark to the house of a settler named Blundell, who kindly gave food and shelter for the night for the entire party. Inspector McGovern took the precaution to see that none of the specials carried lirarrns, each man being simply armed with a baton given to him for the occasion. The regular, constables each carried a revolver in a sheath. Looking to the fact that I should bo acting subsequently iii a judical capacity in this matter, I did not, of course, accompany the party, but remained at the house. For what follows Inspector McGovern is ray authority. The camp is situated upon rising ground, and is formed by a number of wharcs erected inside a fence; a tent stands a part from the whares, and this is occupied always by the so-called prophetess, a woman named Kemara Pangari. The flagpoles stand inside the fence, with some dozen small white fligs continually flying therefrom. Each fanatic is clothed with white attire, with a white head-band. Inspector MoGover caused the interpreter to read over the warrant to the natives, and to tell them that they must go with him to have the charges investigated by the Resident Magistrate. That they would all be well treated if they . went quietly, but go they must. The natives treated everything he said with the utmost contempt, defying him to take them, and saying that their prophetess would protect them against any number of police. They dared the Inspector to advance inside the fence, and upon his attempting to do so, the whole crowd of fanatics rushed forward, armed with long-handled axes, tomahawks, pointed sticks, etc, and made a violent onslaught on the police. The scuffle then became general, the women being, if any-, thing, more violent than the men, While the police were handcuffing some others attacked them violently with axes, and to save their lives two of the constables fired four shots from their revolvers, two of which took effect upon a native fanatic named Kruera Rapana, and in a few minutes the meleii was over, and the men and women securely handcuffed.