MAORI WITCHCRAFT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14214, 10 November 1909, Page 7

MAORI WITCHCRAFT.

TO APPEASE EVIL SPIRITS.

WHANGAREI CASE REVIVED. li sensational case, which occurred 'in Ottly of last year, known '■;. as the Maori Witchcraft case, in which two Maori children were thrown on a fire at Otarao, near Whangarei, and as a result a child 18 months old was burnt to. death, will be

- revived at the Police Court this morning, I- .when Matiu Ngatimo Hehepa will be I ' charged with counselling and procuring his ton, Hirini Ngatimo Hehepa;: and- his eon's p wife, Ema Hehepa, to murder their in- } 'faht; and further, with - attempting to puttier Mateara Hehepa, : his six-year-old : ion; by ordering him to jump on the fire. • . > It will- be remembered, thai in . November [ •■ of last Hirini Hehepa and his wife Ema Hehepa, were tried at the Auckland ! Supreme Court on a charge of murdering fellheir infant, and were 'convicted of man- * slaughter, the male prisoner being sentenced < \o 10 years' imprisonment and the female '• prisoner to five years', imprisonment. / I ' The evidence showed that on July 2 the ' prisoners, with their child and a number of father natives, were living in the wbare of * .Matiu Ngatimo Hehepa, the man who will l&ppear before the Police Court to-day. In ." the evening, when they were all fathered round the fire, Timo, the name by . phich the old man went, ordered Mateara, pis -six-year-old eon, to wash himself and than jump into the fire. The boy did so, fend after remaining there for several seconds r s {jumped off, but was ordered back, " and tgairt obeyed his father's command. The i bid man then ordered that his 18 months' j ifcld grandson be also placed on the. fire, but j f v bo one responded. ." He then ordered the M .bother of the child to obey his behest, and j *:pliß began to cry, but on . being further • pressed she complied with the order. The ; child, screaming with pain, struggled and tolled off. the fire. The mother then asked j , her husband whether she should put the ciiild back again. He replied "Yes; throw it on again." She did so, and then ' asked whether she would take the child off, hit her husband told her to.be, stouthearted and leave it there. The mother thereupon addressed the child, saying, "Go , hence, Satan, evildoer."; The child again fcravled off the fire, but was again put pack, and was burnt to death. - • It was stated that for several days prior to this Timo had declared that he was ■ under the spell of makutu, or witchcraft, *nd that he so prevailed on the others that j they believed that they also were under the t spell, and the human sacrifice was adopted M a means of. getting rid of the evil : spirit, i A fortnight elapsed before information Peached the police, and in . the interim Sr i i? 0:llad been found wandering about in . the bueh in a half-naked condition. He L'jf gas committed to the Avondale Mental |,|;i»iispiUil. He has now, however, been deW.ed mentally sound, and is consequently ft called upon t0 account for hi« share piffim,tbe i crime. . ■ ■■ 4- ■■ . I S; off and **" of his face burnt § »n£ ,J& f result of the terrible ordeal he t 1 !&> ha t on] y recentl y -'-bee* \ dispsrW from the Auckland Hospital.