THE OPUATIA DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 145, 19 June 1894, Page 5

THE OPUATIA DISPUTE.

NATIVES BEFORE THE COURT.

THE DEFENCE.

After we went to press yesterday afternoon the hearing of the charges of obstructing and assaulting the police in the execution of their duty near Mercer.on March 9 last, waa continued ab the Supremo Courb before His Honor Mr Justice Conolly and a jury of twelve. The case for the defence did nob conclude till 6 p.m., all the Maori prisoners except one woman giving evidence. Te Ratahi said that when he was on the ground at Mercer, after having been thrown down by tbe police, "for doing nothing," he was violently assaulted by the constables. His two arms and his throat were seized, his legß were also seized, and a constable hurt his ribs. They assaulted him, he said, when he went forward to Pana and Kapene in order to place his hands upon them bo as to be taken too. lc took five policemen to arrest him. • His Honor remarked that ib was absurd for the witness to allege that he bad been assaulted by the police and ill-treated in the face of the evidence of the police. Te Ratahi further stated that the policemen were telling what was not true. Te Rangi, a young man who was amongsb the Maoris at Mercer on March 9th, but who was not arrested, was called for the defence. He stated that he was with bis people on the river bank at Mercer when the .police arrived. During 'the scrimmngo,'witness was knocked "down by a blow from a policeman's baton, the blow causing his head to bleed. He became unconscious, and when be came to his senses again he was lying in the water. His father and his wife attended to bis injury. Ib was Constable Hobson who struck him. He went to a Maori doctor t» have his injury seen to. He was left on the ground when the police and soldiers and their prisoners went away. Some of the other natives called out to tbe force as they were leaving : *' Here is one of our people whom you have killed. You bad better take him away." To Hauparua, an elderly man,* deposed that be was the father of Te Rangi. During the scrimmage near Mercer, after Kerei Kaibau's arrest, he heard thab Te Rangi was hurt or killed, and on going to him he found his face covered with blood. He and Rangi's wife then carried Rangi down to the river and bathed his head, andbhe son then recovered consciousness. He did not see the blow struck. He recognised Constable Bobson as having been amongeb those near his son.