MAORIS ACQUITTED
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES AT
AUCKLAND,
(II TELESRAfH.—fKESS ASSOCIATION,)
AUCKLAND, 29th May.
The trial.was conducted, at the Supreme. Court to-day of the eight Natives charged with manslaughter by killing Mitai Apirahama at Victoria Valley on 14th August, 1913. The, accused . were all relatives of the deceased, including his father The case for the Crown was that death occurred in a wha-re, Mitai being held down by the accused till he was suffocated.
Giving,, evidence for the defence, Dr. Beattie, superintendent of Avondale Hospital, said that from descriptions of deceased's actions and manner, he believed he was insane.
'The defence was that the, Natives believed that Mitai had become mad, and ■held him down to restrain him from injuring children sleeping in a whare.
■ Mr. Ostler, counsel for several of the accused, said it was on the advice of a woman, now dead that the accused had made the mistake of secretly burying Mitai's bod}'.
After a retirement of twenty minutes the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 128, 30 May 1917, Page 10
Word Count
168MAORIS ACQUITTED Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 128, 30 May 1917, Page 10
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