THE MURDERER HIROKI.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 259, 9 June 1882, Page 2

THE MURDERER HIROKI.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The following is Hiroki's confession :— " In January Major 0. Brown and Hon. John Shcehan spoke about land (when the latter was Native Minister) at Mohaka. I told McLean I had said to Mr. Sheehan, ' You had better not let any white man go on that land : if I see you put white men on my land — that is, surveyors — I warn them that I will kill them.' After that time some more white men came out to survey land. I asked them, 'Who told you to come on my land' (meaning the surveyors) They said it was the Government. It was McLean's brother who told me this. I told them that they must not go on any further. I told them that if they persisted going on surveying land, I would kill them all. They Baid to me : * Never mind what you say.' I told them to go home, and they went away home. Next day they came back again. I and another went to the place, and told' McLean that if you will persist in coming, after my c telling you not t*

c ome on to tbe land. I will kill you. When I iold him that, McLean, said, • Never mind; you are a bloody pig.' I told him I will kill you all, but you will not know the time. I will kill you, meaning any of you. In Sept. I went to the camp with the intention of killing any of tLem that I found there on the land, as I was going up to the place where they camped. At the tent I saw John McLean looking towards me. When he saw me he went to the tent, for he knew that I meant something. I went towards the door of the tent. McLean stood at one end of the tent, at the back. McLean fired at me with a gun, and the ball went through my right side, as I stood in front of the door, but did not go through my body, only through my clothes, uuder my armpits. I caught his arm (gun), and pulled it away froo. him. I got it from him, and McLean ran away, and I fired at him. That is what killed him. He fell into the water close to the river. It was a small river. I went away. I took one sheet and some^ tobacco and some bullets. That is all I can remember taking. The reason I took them was to show the natives what I had done. I told some of the witnesses who came to the trial what I had done. Some of them told the truth about my killing the white man. I also told a good many Maori people when I went to Parihaka what I had done. I told about fifty natives, and I told Te Whiti and other Maoris. Te Whiti know all about what I bad done. I did not keep it secret from any of them. In reference to the Maoris that shot at me, it was quite right. That was after I came from John McLean, after killing him. The whole bother was about land. I owned some of the land that was there. While the men wero surveying some pigs that were mine were killed. I think I have told you all. I should have told you all this before if had been asked at my trial. I asked at Court when I was to talk, and the Court told me that I could not speak, if my lawyer had not done speaking. I was waiting for them to ask mo, and I was not asked till I saw the Judge putting on the black cap, and passed sentence on me. I hope you will telpgraph this to the Government about mother at once, as I know I have only four more days to live >s I dreamt the other night as I told you."