COLD-BLOODED AND DELIBERATE MORDER—JEALOUSY THE CAUSE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3603, 29 January 1883, Page 3

COLD-BLOODED AND DELIBERATE MORDER—JEALOUSY THE CAUSE.

Kaikoura, Saturday. A native named Ratima Jacob, living at Mauugawawa, eight miles from here, murdered his wife yesterday. It was one of tho most cold-blooded and deliberate murders imaginable, jealousy being the cause. The brother of the murderer, it is alleged, had intimacy with the deceased a few days previous to the committal of the deed, and also on a previous occasion. The adulterer and the murderer had married two sisters. The wife of the former died a few months since. The murderer Ratima came here from Waipapa, eight miles from Mauugawawa, about mid-day yesterday, and at once ground and sharpened a large sheath knife. He had made all arrangements for effecting his escape after despatching his wife. Knowing that nearly all the Maoris residing at the pah were engaged cutting grass some miles distant, Ratima, after trying in vain to induce his wife to enter a dwelling, seized her, and after a struggle, during which he made several ineffectual attempts to stab her, cutting her in several places, at length succeeded in doing so. The weapon, a largo butcher's knife, passed right through the woman's neck from side to side, cutting through the jugular veins and the windpipe. The murderer is now very unconcerned, and says he knows he will be hung. The Maoris of the pah would have lynched him had they not been dissuaded by the native teacher, Mr Danaher. This day. The inquest on the death of the native woman Irana Jacob at Maungawawa on Friday was concluded on Saturday evening. The evidence showed that the woman was coolly and deliberately murdered by her husband, Ratima Jacob. As showing the premeditated nature of the crime it may be stated that he went to his wife to get the setting stone and oil with which to sharpen the knife. Nothing direct was proved as improper intimacy between the deceased and her brother-in-law, but that such existed, and was the cause of the crime is beyond doubt. The jury found that the deceased had met with her death at the hands of Ratima Jacob.