FIVE MORE OF THE ESCAPED PRISONERS CAPTURED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1636, 14 March 1866, Page 6

FIVE MORE OF THE ESCAPED PRISONERS CAPTURED.

Major Edwards, the Resident Magistrate at Otaki, arrived in town on Tuesday, bringing intelligence of the capture of five more of, the Maori prisoners, who escaped from the hulk Manukau on the night of the 21st ult. These five were captured by a small party of " friendlies," led by a man named Hoepa. The friendlies were proceeding along the beach at Pakakariki on the morning of Monday last, when they espied some of the runaways. They at once gave chase and captured five, whom they marched off in triumph to Major Edwards. The Major ordered them to keep a strict guard over their prisoners, and after several fruitless efforts to find a cart in which to forward them to town, rode in himself, and informed the authorities of of the capture. The Native Commissioner, on hearing the intelligence started for Otaki, and on arriving at Paikakoriki, found the prisoners safely housed in an outbuilding of Mr. jtilkin's establishment. Ultimately a cart was procured, and they were brought down to town last night. The New Zealand. Herald, of Feb. 2, says:— Yesterday we had quite a fleet of arrivals from the East Coast, bringing news of great importance from Opotiki and elsewhere. The first to arrive was the schooner Fortune, from Opotiki and Tauranga. She had intelligence of a rumoured outbreak at Opotiki, and the immediate removal of the prisoners to Auckland. She having brought up no mail or dispatches we refrained from [publishing any second edition, but merely announced the information as usual on our telegram board. A few hours later the Hope arrived from Tauranga, bringing the mail and confirming the report; and last evening later intelligence came to hand by the schooner Kauri, from the Bay of Plenty. The following is an abstract of the whole i The Fortune yas chartered to proceed from Tauranga to Opotiki with despatches, and upon arrival there they found that the p.s. Sturt, Captain Fairchild, had just come in from Wellington, with despatches from his Excellency the Governor. The arrival of the Sturt was most opportune, as the natives in the surrounding neighbourhood were beginning to show signs of disaffection, and it was conjectured that probably an attempt i would be made to rescue the prisoners lying under sentence of death. This was thought ; the more probable in consequence of a party . of rebels, who had not long since surrendered and taken the oath of allegiance, as also those , acquitted at the court-martial, having suddenly , disappeared in the bush. To prevent surprise [ or other emergencies the Sturt was imme- ; diately despatched to Tauranga and Maketu for .further reinforcements, and she left Tauranga on Wednesday last, with 120 men of ! the Ist Waikato Regiment, namely 50 from Tauranga and 70 from Maketu. She would arrive at Opotiki that night, and then leave yesterday for Auckland with the murderers . (35 in number) on board, in accordance with the despatches from Wellington. The Sturt may be expected to arrive to day, but what , is to be done here with these court-martial-doorned prisoners no one knows. One day last week three of the mounted troopers stationed at Opotiki went out in the bush to search for some horses that had ; strayed away, when they were suddenly fired i upon by a party of the Hau-haus. One of i the troopers was shot dead, but the other two managed to escape, and upon the officer , commanding sending out an expedition the next day, the body of the unfortunate man : was found horribly mutilated, the eyes, , entrails, &c., having been taken out. The friendly natives, who have been assisting us, of late complain greatly of the action of the Governor. They say that at the risk of life arid everything they went into the i hot bed of Hau -hauisra to capture the mur- . derers of Fulloon and others .and having ' done so, after they are trie" and found

guilty, why not hang or shoot them as they deserve, and not keep them to allow of the chance of escape. Several influential settlers, who arrived yesterday, inform us that the friendly natives are complaining loudly about this dilatory proceeding. The Southern Cross, of Feb. 5, states:— } By the Government steamer Sturt, Captain rairchild, which arrived early yesterday morning from Opotiki, Matata, Maketu, and Tauranga we have later intelligence from these places. It will be remembered that the Sturt waa despatched from Wellington for the purpose of bringing up to Auckland the murderers of Mr. Fulloon and the crew of the cutter Kate, and upon her arrival there she was despatched to Tauranga and Maketu for further reinforcements of troops on account of the unsettled state of the natives. On Friday last, she took on board at Opotiki the prisoners who had been sentenced to death by courtmartial held there, for the murder of Mr. Fulloon and the crew of the cutter Kate. The embarkation of the prisoners was carried out with the utmost vigilance, Colonel Lyons, the officer commanding, having ordered a strong guard to range themselves from the Stockade down to the wharf where the Sturt was lying, in order to prevent any attempt at escape. It had been previously reported to him that the prisoners had openly stated that " they knew they were to be shot, and why not do it at once, instead of taking them to Auckland," also that they " intended, if possible, to make their escape by jumping overboard, and if they escaped being shot, well and good, if not it may just as well come first as last." The Sturt called at Matata and Maketu that night for the purpose of receiving on board witnesses, and afterwards touched at Tauranga for dispatches. The Sturt has brought the following Captain Percivall, Captain T. Wilson, Mr. Clarke, R.M., Mr. Raynard, Mr. Bruce, Captain Leggett (in charg), Lieutenant Gray, 3 sergeants, 40 rank and file of the Ist Waikato regiment, 1 prisoner (military), 1 sergeant, 2 privates (escort), 31 native prisoners, 31 native witnesses, and 3 discharged soldiers. Among the prisoners is the prophet Te Hura Te Tai. The day the Sturt left Opotiki, Colonel Lyons was going to march upon a native stronghold called the Gorge, a few miles inland, but of very difficult access. It was expected that some very hot fighting would take place, but no doubt our next intelligence will be that the difficulty has been overcome on our side.

The six prisoners taken on the charge of being concerned in the murder of Mr.Volkner still remain at Opotiki, awaiting their trial by court-martial. The Southern Cross of Feb. 7 says " The natives sentenced to death at a courtmartial at Opotiki for the murder of Mr. Fulloon and the crew of the cutter Kate, hare been brought to Auckland for trial. They were taken before the Resident Magistrate on the 6th instant, and remanded until Wednesday, the 14th. Thirty-one prisoners were brought up, the like number of native witnesses, several Europeans, and a strong guard of the Ist Waikato regiment. "It will thus be seen that our practice with regard to prisoners and murderers is somewhat changeable. The Kawau gentry we allowed to escape; two natives found guilty in the Supreme Court of an atrocious murder are pardoned by the Governor: thirty-one found guilty by court-martial are sent to the Supreme Court to be tried afresh; the prisoners on board the late prison-ship at Wellington, make their escape; and a number of others are from time to time pardoned to be met with again in arms against us. And this is the way we impress upon the minds of the Maori a due sense of the vast importance and value and dignity of law and order. Of course the Maoris laugh at Sir George Grey, and use very impolite expressions respecting him. But is it any wonder that they do this ? The Southern Cross of the 6th of February says "We learn from a private letter received from Taranaki that Te Ua, the prophet of Hau-hauism, has lately shown symptoms of getting into his right mind. He has expressed several times to Mr. .Parris his wish to come in and live quietly in some of the settlements. But he seems alone in this determination, and the more zealous Hau-haus of the district, disgusted at the apathy of their former leader, have put forward a Ngatiruanui chief as the new head of the religion." The Maoris Accused of the Murder of Mr. Volkner.—The five natives accused of the murder of Mr. Yolkner, who have been for. some months past, in custody at Opotiki, but who were not brought before the Court-martial, arrived in Auckland yesterday by the steamer Sturt from Opotiki. The following are the names of the men : —Mokomoko, Heremita Kahupaea, Hakaraia te Rahui, PaoraTaia, and Penetita. The firstnamed is a closely tatooed man, of about 45 years of age, who, it is said, acted as commander of the party that committed the murder; Kahupaea and Te Rahui are said to have been actively engaged in the hanging of Mr. Yolkner ; Paora Taia and Penetita, it is stated, drank the blood of the murdered man, the former havingbeen standing in the pulpit of the church with Kereopa when Mr. Volkner's head was brought in. All the prisoners are rather unfavourable specimens of the Maori. The prisoners were brought before his Worship about two o'clock, on an information charging them with the murder of Mr. Volkner laid by Mr. H. J. Clarke, Civil Commissioner, at Tauranga. Mr. Brookfield stated that he appeared for the prosecution, and would ask for a remand until Saturday, as the principal witnesses had not arrived from Opotiki, and he expected them before that day. His Worship granted the remand until ten o'clock, on Saturday, when the preliminary examination will be commenced at the new gaol.—Southern Cross, Feb. 27.