THE TRAGEDY IN A MAORI CAMP.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 21 March 1910, Page 5

THE TRAGEDY IN A MAORI CAMP.

THE VICTIM DEAF AND DUMB,

AN ACCIDENTAL KILLING

The Raglan correspondent of the "Auckland Herald" wired as follows on Wednesday in reference to the tragedy in a Maori camp at Waingaroa, briefly referred to in a telegram in our columns : A native named Matetu Purua shot another Maori named Temana Horomona, at the settlement near Waingaro Landing, early on Tuesday morning.

Temana was deaf and dumb, and was walking about in the vicinity of the camp after midnight. He was challenged and there being no response, Matetu fired, The wounded man crawled away and died, his dead body being found next morning. Matetu surrendered himself, and is in the lockup at Raglan, on a charge of murder. Mr F. Green, Acting Coroner,, with a jury, left for Waingaro Landing to-day to hold an inquest. The "Herald's" Hamilton correspondent wired:

Details of the native tragedy at Raglan go to show that the killing was accidental. It appears that Puma and a mate wer e in their camp near Raglan, going over some accounts in connection with a contract they had undertaken, when steps were heard at intervals, as if someone was prowling round the camp. Matetu Purua called out twice, "Who is there " There was no reply, and he then fired a shotgun at random in the direction he had last heard the sounds. This was shortly after midnight of Tuesday, and at about eight on Wednesday morning Purua and his companion found a deaf and dumb native, Temana Horomana, a cousin of Purua, about 50 yards from the camp, in a dying condition. A little later Horomona died, and then Purua at once rode in to Raglan, and gave himself in charge of the constable.