TRIAL OF RUA

Nelson Evening Mail, 20 July 1916, Page 8

TRIAL OF RUA

REBUTTING EVIDENCE CALLED. (United Press Association.) AUCKLAND. July 18. Another ;chase.of the trial of Rua w:u entered upon at the Supreme Court ih:s morning, when the Crown Prosecutm called rebutting evidence in reply to thr developments wh'cfc occurred in tht course of Mr Lun'don's cross-examina lion. The trial has been in progress for ZA days, and. it will probably last for c\\ other week. Several police witnesses are to be filled, also the Magistrate (ifr-R. W. Dyyi ■who imposed the sentence upon the prisoner. At to-day's hearing a witness enlarged upon the meaning of "patua, pat'ia" as alleged to have been used by the prisoner on the occasion of his arrest. I- Patua'.'' meant- "to kill, to strike a mortal blow with a weapon.'' It was ;>r active -verb, with little or no mod-fixa-tion.' the- English language, the jllaori. language had a large variety of verbs' to indicate and expi-ess each different variety of action. The word 'Vratua"' meani' "to strike a mortal Wow, a kill ing blow." The Maori idea of killing a pig was to strike it, a heavy blow on the head with an axe. That- was exact ly the mean'ng of "patua." which .vas an instruction ,'*U.-:e your weapons to kill," as an Englishman said, "Give t'hemi the price," or "Up, Guards, and at them." . The Crown Prosecutor: Ti" a man wished to ask that he be killed, >vhat would he say? Witness: He would say "patua Liu." which "is the .passive form of the verb. That is essentially what Rua telLs us he said to a ranga-tira who has been exposed to the cainful indignity of being frogmarched. The Crown Prosecutor: It would n om-? quite natural to say "patua bau"? Witness: Yes, certainly.