Page 7 Advertisements Column 4

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15729, 2 October 1914, Page 7

MAORI DOCTOE. PECULIAR PRESCRIPTIONS. FINED FOR TOHUNGAISM. [Br TELEGKAFO.—OWV correspondent.] Wasgxnci, Thursday. A case of alleged tohungaism was heard at the Pat-ea Court to-day. A young Maori, named Poi Awarua, -was charged with having pretended to euro disease by supernatural powers, this being an ofj fence under tho Tohunga Suppression Act, 1898. It was stated that a Maori I woman from I'arewanui had come to Little Taranaki to be treated by the i divine healer, and that she had died. I Another young Maori woman maintained that i'oi had treated her and had put tea and mixed potatoes on her head, whilst another man, who believed ho had an evil spirit, was alleged to have been hit 011 the nose and then made to drink [ his own blood with the object of driving I out the evil spirit. : i - 'or the defence it was slated that tho . Maori woman from Parewanui had I not been treated by Poi. Tho young Maori woman, who claimed to have had tea poured on her head, was, alleged to be suffering from swollen eyes, which had I all the appearance of having been caused by blows, and when Poi saw her he | bathed her eyes with tea, but did noth- ! ing beyond that. With regard to the case of driving out tho evil spirit, it was , maintained that the man in question had I violently assaulted Poi. Several young fellows rushed him, and he was struck on the nose, and this accounted for the bleeding, but the drinking of blood was stoutly denied. Two witnesses for Poi maintained that the defendant had never pretended to possess supernatural powers. He was a preacher, however, and had exhorted the Maoris to give up the worship of Maori idols and the gods of their ancestors. The magistrate accepted the evidence for the prosecution, and fined defendant £10 and costs. He said that ho would havo imposed a term of imprisonment instead of a fine were it not for the fact that defendant did not make money cut of his practice.