Renata Kawepo's Strange Will Case.

The great Eenaia-will case was^et_ed^a» far as Sir James Prendergast could setHe it— for the matter bas to bs taken to- the Court of Appeal— last week. A stranger, more interesting, or more perplexing oase is rarely found outside tha pages of the novelist. The_eroine J .A_e_i-_ingZtor/A_3oa I)oned^, may almost rank,. in-fatt, -wit_h._Mr ' Eider .JB Ea ggard'a-latesfcsheroine, whoaeAir ahoulders-laors—Cr Meesou*B laet vdll-an^L testament tattooed upon them. If ant quitfr ISO .attractiye in person- as Augoata Smit— ers, -or .so indelibly "branded,"* Airini-DoneUy is certainly from, this time likely to be equally £___ans in Nov .Zealand. She*is the grand_iece -of Een_4a _t__awepo, the wealthy Maori ohief o! lOmaha>aiear Napier, anrl.haTi'ng diapleased >iiim ini aechoice of -_. -.. Enropean husband _acle quanelled. The ilad^aatea-ty iese_ij_Uihe__ghtput4_poa sfheunan. other <jhoice. for &, longtime they remained irreconcilable, bnt at ■Jtet- 0 maide ie "up;" and -the breach -waa _es!te3r thongb. fiaro&dißagreemeiita took Lpliueirom^— ae.-_> time. Doting the first outburst. of bis displeasure, the old chief, -t?. ho had aoichildrenof insuown, adopted Lone _Jroughton,*vhalf-ca^te_ and. in Januajfy, _BS7 > le£b.«J DLMa propertioa toMntbywilL This w_L was tegularly dravm up, bothjn EngllßbuattdJ-aoirvAtid duly executed in* jKapter « )_dto_, *•_ oflice, .in tha presence of sereral "aitnesses. Suoh ia the pre£aco.to fthftanodiiote^tinejart of the Sbasf. In April Ikst, JBenata prepared for a .gEea^.43kt_day feast, oii.rthft^ccasion.of . _, ___Mso_!&_*_ite

consider how certain blooks of lands should be apportioned among several claimants, and Airini were then on the best of termß, and the invitations, whioh included the leading Europeans of Hawke's Bay, so splendid was the function, were issued by the niece. The old chief, however, waa taken seriously ill while the preparations for the feast were going on, died in a few days, and the funeral baked meats were those which should have furnished forth the birthday table. An immense concourse o. Maoris and Europeans attendedNapier, in fact, was almost deserted. All thiß leads up to the climax of the story. The burial service had barely been j concluded when quite a Bcuffle took place in the strong room at the old chief's house, j Two parties laid olaim to the possession of the papers, and the Milner safe in which , several thousands sterling were reported to be lying. Several lawyers took part in this somewhat " angry parie," and at j length it was mutually agreed to leave force out of the question, and carry on the war in the Supreme Court. It appears that Airini had nursed Eenata in hiß fatal illness, and two daya before his death, so , she avers, the old chief made a new will in her favour. The document i- contained in less than twenty words, is written in her handwriting, and j witnessed only by her father and by a young Native chief for whom he acted as executor. Eenata was too weak, so Airini's story goes, to sign in full and only made his mark. Not another soul knew of the proceedings, though Eenata's two wiveß, worn out with fatigue and watching, were said to ba actually sleeping in the rcom. Not another soul heard of the Existence of the will until after the old man's death and burial. Then came the struggle in the Btrong room, and Broughton found himself faoe to face with disinheritance, and a strong-willed woman, backed by her solicitors. No wonder that he took the case to Wellington j and no wonder that in spite of the Chief Justice's decision in favour of Airini, he takeß it to the Higher Court. A cloud of witnesses were examined. Their testimony is moßtconflicting and confusing. One of the witnesses to the second will told a European that he j did not see Eenata make his mark ; the wives deny that they were asleep at all that morning. Mr Carroll, M.H.R., the most important stranger at the land meeting, had no word from Eenata regarding this sudden change in his intentions ; -lhe Venerable Archdeacon Williams says that the chief gave him to understand that Airini was to have his property. This is the directest evidence for Mrs Donelly, and is very clear and strong as to the chiefs' intentions. Yet it is flatly contradioted by that of several Natives. It will be very interesting, considering the amount involved, and the circumstances surrounding the signing— after the decision of the Chief Justice we hardly like to say "alleged-" signing of the will — to watoh the issue on appeal.