Settling Matters in Own Way

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1939, Page 8

Settling Matters in Own Way

Whangaroa Maoris have their own ideas as to how differences should be settled.

Recently a native living at Kaeo called on a neighbour with whom he had a grievance, and a fight took place. He was forcibly ejected, and the wife of the Maori on whom he called finished off the encounter by seriously knocking him about witli a heavy piece of wood. When he returned to his home his own wife was so enraged that she visited the house in question and smashed the windows with a saucepan. This tale . of good neightaourliness was told in the Kaeo Court before Mr G. N. Morris, S.M., yesterday. Ruddy Renata was charged with having assaulted Charlotte Tupe, at Kaeo, on February 9, and the latter was charged with having assaulted Renata.

Celia Inez Hilda Renata was charged with having committed mischief by breaking three panes of glass, valued at 22/6, the property of Charlotte Tupe.

Severe Assault.

Constable Edward Buckley stated that on February 10 Renata had called at the police station beaming marks of severe assault, displaying black eyes, bruises on the mouth and a severe scalp wound, which had necessitated medical attention/and the insertion of several stitches.

Inquiries had revealed that trouble had been brewing between the Renatas and Tupds for some time over the occupation of native land, settlement of the matter having been held up by the Native Land Court as to the final division of the property.

The matter came to a head when Renata called at the Tupe home and assaulted Mrs Tupe in the kitcherf.

Woman’s Savage Attack,

He was thrown out of the house by Tupe and his wife, but, not content to let the affair rest, Mrs Tupe attacked him savagely with a piece of wood, inflicting severe injuries. This led Mrs Renata to retaliate in her own fashion by calling in her turn at the Tupe household and smashing the windows with the family’s own saucepan. Constable Buckley suggested that the most effective manner of dealing with the case would be to convict both defendants and order them to come up for sentence within six months if called upon. Taking the view that both parties had already been sufficiently punished, the magistrate adopted tin's course, prohibiting defendants to trespass on each other’s properties.

It might have been a serious matter, said Mr Morris. Any repetition of the trouble would result in gaol sentences.