CHARGES AGAINST HALF-CASTE

Evening Star, Issue 19274, 12 June 1926, Page 3

CHARGES AGAINST HALF-CASTE

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND ARSON [Per United Press Association.] PALMERSTON N., June 11. Arising out of a' sensation at Awahuri on the night of February 10, Ernest Taniwha Sutherland, a hallcaste Maori, was charged at the Police Court with attempting to kill his wife, Rangianaua Sutherland, with willully setting fire to the dwelling house of his father-in-law, Richard Drummond, and with assaulting his mother-in-law, Ngacro Drummond, and causing her actuaJ bodily harm. Rangianaua. Sutherland gave evidence that Sutherland was living apart from her in a hut a mile from her father’s house. At midnight she heard a noise outside her father’s house. She investigated, when her husband approached and struck her several blows with a blunt instrument. He then made off into tbe night. When in hospital witness had received a letter from her husband asking forgiveness and pleading for a reconciliation. Richard Drummond said that, being awakened, he went outside ami found sacks of old clothes burning under bis bouse. On his pulling them out, Sutherland struck witness witlq a garden hoe. Later Sutherland's wife appeared with the blood streaming from her face. Sutherland also pointed something at witness, and threatened to shoot him. AVitness chased accused, who disappeared. All this time the house was steadily burning, and was soon razed to tho ground. The police evidence was to the effort that accused admitted placing burning sacks under the building, hut denied (hat he intended doing any harm. The accused pleaded not guilty, and reserved his defence

Accused was then charged with assaulting Airs Drummond and causing her actual bodily harm, and with wilfully setting firo to the dwelling house of Richard Drummond. After the evidence of the same witnesses as in the first charge had been pul in accused was committed for trial.