RUA AND HIS FOLLOWERS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 241, 4 July 1908, Page 6

RUA AND HIS FOLLOWERS

• ''AN EXCITING INCIDENT. (nV.IEMQRAPH—rEEp' ASSOCUTION.) "■ 1 ' * ': , 'Auckland, July ,3. ' Detective Cooney'has returned .to Rotorua, with- a .half-caste ■girl -of. fifteen ,whom. Rua had taken:as : his. wife.." __ Hua's son. and bis -Council of Elders reito give the girl, up, threatening to 'cut off' the ;liead bf ' the' girl's father - and shoot"' the' policed party .. ' ' .. -.' The detective informed ■ them - that if they used forco, troops • would, be sent to. destroy them and tlieir pa. : ' ' '. ■ After'considorablo delay, the Maoris 'handed the girlNaver. . ... ;. ... ~1... Rua's people are very short of food..There are only a fow men in tho village, .but there are a number of women and, children thero irho are badly starved.

RUA'S EXPLANATIONS, V " DIDN'T WANT THE GIRI/!" . Some,t'surprise-but. 'no;great . concern,'. was manifested by •Rua'when -a 1 reporter. called, upon him last evening and-showed-; him;the above/, telegram vfrom ; Auckland regarding. , the action.,of ;tho police in taking his girl - wife, : away from his kainga ; in tho ,Urowera .When'Vthe pressman'called at the lodging- ■ house,-in Strootr -which : has formed-the abiding place of the .Prophet : and :his", apostle 3 : duringthe"'past ' week,: no ' foimrl,, a, happy, .family \ party .of * about -a. dozen, -. including two ?or three' Maori ladies, - comfortably seated- around a. pleasant jliro. in' a ! sitting-room - at r the rear of the restaurant- attached' to ;tho establishment, r- .•••; -. Rua, on. being. 1 asked ithrbugh an interpreter: (who spoke -but very, indifferent -English) whether ho had. any: statement to. make, - concerning the Incident- refen-ed to,: replied that he-knewinothing of it.-: When 'tion-was explained to to be relieved rather than otherwise.- - • ■ » -■• : "I do not want the girl," lie said. Sho was'brought" to Waimana, and would ' not go-away from me, and went with me to This,'"S* was"; elicited, happened three or • four.: months. ago., The': girl's,- father,, it an-. ■■ :■ pcared,- : ..went'";-to;■-.the- " prophet - .shortly. afterwards'and 1 ' demanded .his; daughter. / Rua-: states that ihe ..was- quite ..willing--to. hand;her' oyer.to her parent, but. she refused 'to go. Therefore,-.the,.announcement of the action of: the police troubled him but .little.. Questioned in regard;to ! the defiant attitude * assumed towards the police by his son, Rua ; said,'-" Oh, : -he', only, a boy—only, nineteen-^, ■ he don't know better;: -It was wrong to ,do, ' that." ', The outlook- for..Rua Junior; would ueemHo be' stormy I' '• t -;.!'"v '' i v , : The i statement \ns Vtovthe : shortage '. of food . nt theSvillage-'Wasi also pointed out to -Rua.' ' Ho .expressed: great■: astonishment,- and plained- what measures ho had taken before leaving; homo to keep-the wolf from-the door;! He had left £60 " all :cash "with his son to ■ buy food with 'Auring,' his..mission, to; the capital/.-. Since ho had, been: m .Wellington.: the sonihac:• sent talongi.an. account for ( £32 • 195.32.: -for.'-fcJod : ,- purchased "on. tick; ■ ■ since' v Whether .the ■ £60 had ■ b'een-'expended'in - - addition''.li© - was unable;to f,He ; had-loftVa good deal of -food, such as floiir, vrice,' : and oatmeal 'in, 1 theflarder - at: : the '-Kainga, and,, in addition, there were wild' and >tam6 :hullocks and rpigs, plenty of them',''all 'abbut; 1 -and- three butchers, too, ' to. : , tucker ; thero is no need; anybody to-starve " '• I • The'. sender of " the ■ telegram < from Auckland: caiiie'-'in for -a-bad. time., "People no right 1 /to; pu't' r that• m ; tho paper, ■ and , make. : out- xny-people >ro -starved like. ; Who, sentthat?' • '; • : ; interviewer - confessed iiis ignorance, ' but' inquired -what' llua would dQ to. tho man if ,he" found <)ut::Hs name 9 !'!Wh'at<l, dolViWhy-1 summons him for; Eiving'- ine. . about food. That's

v arid'quick. aboutVit'." :■/ .-An'endeavour t'ofcetfact some information' regarding >Rua's 'estimate'6f ; ' tho :value;iof : his 'visit-'.to .'Wellingtdn'rosulted in 'thef infdr-I / ination being- vouchsafed- that he {had hadtwo interviews with tho Native.Minister, but "'! that he still! had " some: business' to; fix." Ho hoped to " fix" this to-morrow, and leavo for home on Monday: or Tuesday next/ Is,any,good likely:tolcome to the Maori people through, your/, visit? . ' , The prophet,; ; through the - interpreter,- ' diplomatically replied.that' this wa's-'a difficult' question to, answer j but 1 hopes ." good will bo done." '•• ■ /; < ■'Has^•Rua','-got^any / .idea.'of'entering Par-: liament?".';'." •• .The''question' was',conveycd'\tq;'Ruai and. ' thojaughing, 'almost contemptuous reply, as ' interpreted, .- was decisive' X°U' mean .be \ a ,Mahuta;: oh,: ho! nothing like that."