TRIAL OF HIROKI FOR MURDER.

Press, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5057, 22 November 1881, Page 2

TRIAL OF HIROKI FOR MURDER.

[raiss AssocrA-nosr TEi_ta_u-r.] NEW PLYMOUTH, November.2l. Hiroki was brought up at the Police Court this morning upon a charge of having murdered John McLean. The following pre* sided :-~3Sr-0. 3. Rawse*; R.M.Vand Messrs W. A,'<3a-ri-gtoo and %' Xi»fc J.P.'s. _fr StancHklL Crdtfii Proseoator, and Mr Samuel appeared 5 for the prosecution. Mr Standish stated that to oall Mr C. Messenger "to gis*sn* evidence to-day, as-he was anxious to;<fl-t back to Parihaka. After taking that evidence/he proposed to ask for an adjournment of th| case until to-morrow. Charles Mes.enger d-posed—l am a licensed Native Interpreter and Lieutenant in the New Zealand Militia. For several years I have been in the habit of attending Native meetings held at Parihaka., I was at tbe meeting on the 17th Ootober, 187 S. I remember hearing of the murder of a man named John McLean at Mamahaki. Shortly after that occurrence I visited Parihaka. I know the priioner Hiroki. I first saw him at the meeting at Parihaka in Ootober, 1878.* That was shortly after Mr Williams, Native interpreter, had been at Parihaka searching for Hiroki. I had attended several meetings before that time, but i did not see Hiroki at Parihaka before. Some | Natives directed my attention to him, and in I consequence of what the Natives said, I went up to him. I said to some of the Natives (in the hearing of the prisoner) that I had heard Hiroki was not wounded. Hiroki immediately showed a wound in the groin, on the right side. The wound was at that time open, and had not healed up. It appeared to have been made by a bullet, and at the time I saw it it appeared to have been only recently reoeived. I asked Hiroki about the murder of MoLear. He said the surveyors had been in the habit of killing his pigs, and he had warned them several times about it. On the day of the murder he heard some dogs again at the pigs, and when he got up to where McLean was, he had some words with him about killing the pigs. Hiroki said that McLean threatened to shoot him, and if he had not shot MoLaan, MoLean would have shot him. I saw Hiroki with a double-barrelled fowling-piece at Parihaka. He showed the gun at two meetings. He also had a pistol in his belt. He paraded the gun before the Natives who were assembled in the marae. None of the other Natives had their guns at tbe same time. Accused was told that he oould examine witnesses.

Mr Messenger (To Hiroki) —I did have a conversation with you at Parihaka. Hiroki—l did not speak to you at Pari. haka.

Archer Charles Croft, deposed--**! am a duly qualified medioal practitioner aosiding at Patea. I remember a coroner's inquest being held on the body of John M'Lean, before Captain Wray. It was held about three years since. I made a post mortem examination on the body of John M'Lean before the inquest was held at Waverly. M'Lean appeared to be about thirty-two years of age, or possibly younger. I found a jagged wound about the centre of the twelfth rib on the left side. I dilated the wound with a pair of forceps, and I found three or four ribs splintered in small pieces. Blood had flowed from the wound. I observed also that blood had triokled from tbe right ear. I saw a swelling on the temple about the size of a small walnut. I examined the swelling and it was moveable, and I thought that it might be a bullet. I out down upon it and extracted a bullet. I believe the bullet produced ia the same that I extraoted from the body. I placed the bullet on the table before the coroner. I opened the body in ordor to trace the passage of the bullet from the external wound in the ribs to the ear. I found that the ball had fractured three ribs and then made a furrow on the surface of the liver. It then had torn the large arteries at the base of the heart, having first passed through the diaphragm. The next trace of the bullet was underneath the collar bone, and then it passed along the superficial muscles on the right side of the neck up to the right temple bone. From the oouree tie bullet had taken I believe McLean must have been in a stooping position at the time he was shot. He was shot, from behind and below him. Mo Lean could not have been dead more than forty-eight hours when I examined him. The wound whioh he received mnst have produced instantaneous death. I had the body stripped' and thoroughly examined it. I discovered no other wounds., Hiroki (to witness)— Have you any idea of who it was killed the man ? Witness—Oh dear, no. Mrßtandiah at this stage asked 1 for a re* mand until to-morrow, at 11 a.m. This concluded the business. The Waitotara Natives relented at a meet* ing yesterday, and despatched witnesses by coach to New Plymouth today to give evidence against Hiroki. Another witness is ill, but will leave on recovery.