The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, December 20, 1888.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 237, 20 December 1888, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Mornin g.

Thursday, December 20, 1888.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

BLACK HEARTS AND BLACK SKINS. Lately a number of reports have been circulated in Gisborne which, while giving further proof of the tendency of people to talk and expand what they are talking about, also contain sufficient to demand for them the closest investigation. On the day following the receipt of news of the Pook murders, it was reported in Gisborne that a Maori had murdered, his wife at a place beyond the Karaka. We at first discredited the story and did not think it worth while to send a reporter much out of his road to make enquiries, but a gentleman subsequently arrived from Ormond and gave us full particulars which he had heard from a thoroughly trustworthy native who had been an eye-witness of the affair. Subsequently another native arrived in town and confirmed the information first received, but we were still chary of publishing it until at least the police had received information. Eventually, however, another messenger arrived and stated that the woman was still alive. It then transpired that the inhuman wretch had not succeeded in kicking the life out of his wife, and the natives had agreed that they would say nothing further about the matter unless the woman died," and then, of course, they would inform the police. The alleged death at Makarika was based on almost identically the same foundation, though we are not yet prepared to say how much truth there was in the latter rumor, further than that those who ought to know say they would not have been greatly surprised—though they might have been much grieved—had such a thing occurred. Allowing for all points that may well be overlooked in discussing the subject, there is a very serious side to consider. We may well join in regretting that the sensation of the moment should be further increased by these alarming reports, but there appears to be in them a bitter grata of

truth which must not be ignored. A man who will brutally kick any woman is worse than the meanest cur, and whether his skin be black or white, he should have inflicted upon him the severest penalty that is allowed by laws that are too liberal in this respect. It may be urged that these are domestic troubles which right themselves when not interfered with, but if this cowardly brutality is to be treated in that off-hand manner, then we ought to be ashamed to call this a Christian land and our own a civilised community. We can hardly suppress the expression of a hope that some of these unfortunate women will be killed outright, instead of being tortured to death by the brutality complained of, so that some of the murderous hounds might be singled out and made to pay the penalty of their crime by being hanged from the gallows. However frequently these cases of brutality do occur it is only on rare occasions that the public hear anything about them, —only, it would seem, when there is a probability of a trial for murder as a sequel,—but when there is any evidence obtainable it is .the duty of the police to have the brutal culprit punished in accordance with his offence. If the scoundrel happen to be black in skin as well as in heart, there is no more reason why he should be made an exception of than if his brutality had so far succeeded as to constitute a coldblooded murder. The now notorious Haira te Piri appears to have made a very good start in crime by brutally kicking his wife and then trying to roast her alive, but we would never have known anything about it if he had not been suspected of another crime the success of which only constitutes it a worse one than he had previously attempted. It is the duty of the police to thoroughly investigate these reports of semi-murders (if such a term can be used) and bring the offenders to justice. Knowing that the police staff has at present more on its hands than can well be managed, it is excusable if these things are not immediately followed up, but if they are allowed to pass altogether unnoticed, it will be very discreditable to those whose duty it is to see these things are dealt with as they deserve to be.