THE EAST COAST TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 238, 22 December 1888, Page 2

THE EAST COAST TRAGEDY.

A RELEASE AND A COMMITTAL. The evidence taken in the murder cases is now to hand, but there is nothing fresh to publish, Hohepa was acquitted and Haira committed for trial. The latter was brought on to Gisborne by the Australia, but it was decided to send him on to the Napier gaol, to which destination he was despatched last night, in charge of Constable Dunn. A great number of people who intended to await the arrival of the tteamer on Thursday night were diaappointei by her not coming in until it was too late to tend r her, and an equally large number were disappointed by learning on Friday morning that there was no mcessity fcr the case to be tried in the Gisborne R. M. Court. Un his arrival Haira was dressedin the red coat of the Ngatiporou uniform, with a shawl round his legs. The N. Z Herald’s Waiapu correspondent, after referring to the murder of Mr and Mrs Pook and child at VYaipiro, thus refers to the four Maoris first arrested on suspicion of having committed the foul deed :—“ The four poor Maori lads who have been in custody at Port Awanui, were taken up by the police solely because they travelled that way late on the night of the tragedy. They were all good fellows, and two of thorn had their names during the current year on the school rolls of Kawakawa and Rangitukia. They are all of the family of the Hon. Mokena Kohere, late M.L.C. Two of them are his sons, one his son in law, and the fourth their near relation and close companion. The young fellows were in a sad plight and great state of distress, weeping bitterly at the foul nature of tbecharge hanging (albeit unjustly) over them, but when one of the blood stained and persumably actual murderers was taken up, they really danced for joy. The rigour of their imprisonment was somewhat relaxed, and they were allowed to go outside and converse with their friends. I have just heard one of their female relations and schoolfellows give an account of the prisoners ‘on the iaiil,’ where the Port Awanui lock-up is placed. The girl took quite a practical view of their confinement, winding up with the remark, ‘ They have plenty of good wholesome food given them, and that is more than we outsiders have at present.’ It may interest some of h s fellowlegislators to bo told that the hon. gentleman above named is now quite in his dotage. * Legislation ’ seems to hava taken possession of his superannuated brain, and ha may be seen wandering about the 'highways and byways of the Waiapu Valley with a Blue Book under his arm upon some aimless quest. He still retains the manner of politeness, which he imbibed at the Empire City of Woodentown, and puts some of us less ceremonious Europeans to the blush in this respect.”