TRIAL OF TITOKOWARU.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6439, 2 December 1881, Page 7

TRIAL OF TITOKOWARU.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) New Plymouth, November 25.

Titokowaru was brought up at the Police Court this morning, and charged on the complaint of Thomas Lloyd, in the words following. that is to say, “ I will burn the whare—meaning thehou.se of the said Thomas Lloyd at Manaia—and kill the women and children that on the Bth day of October, 1881, at Manaia aforesaid, the said Titokowaru threatened in the words following— 4 ‘ I will burn down Manaia,” and on the 17th November, 1881, at Port Ilolleston, he said—‘‘Von think my people will run away. These youug men are standing as a guard for us. The Europeans may, perhaps, have forgo ten Te Ngutu o Te Maun and Moturoa. This is your day; but mine.will come hereafter. Do you consider the Europeans a noble race ?** Wherefore, the complaint prays that the said Titokowaru may be required to find sufficient sureties to keep the peace.” On the Bench were Mr C. E. Uawaon, fi.M.; Messrs E. A. Carrington, and T. King, J.IVs Mr Staudish appeared for the complainant, and Mr J\«hn Blake was sworn in as interpreter. The information was interpreted .into Maori to Titokowaru.

The Court (to interpreter) : Ask him if he has anything to say why he should not be bound over to keep the peace for six months towards all Her Majesty’s subjects. Interpreter ; He admits the complaint. Mr iStaudish : Perhaps, your Worship, it would be as well to go ou with the evidence, notwithstanding the plea of guilty. The prisoner is a Native who has given much trouble, and although he may admit using the words, he might desire lo place another construction upon them, lie may say lie said it in cha*F.

* His Worship said he thought it would be advisable to hear the evidence.

Mr Staudish then opened the case for the prosecution. Thomas Lloyd deposed ; I am an hotelkeeper living at Manaia. I know the accused. He comes to Manaia occasionally ; his settlement is about three miles from Man da. I remember him being at my hotel in October last; Mr Budge was also there. Mr Budge stated something to me, and I called Titokowaru out and asked him why he had said he would burn my house down and kill the women, and he replied that it was all gammon, he had only said so to frighten people. He said there was no fear ; if anything took place he would let me know. I had heard of prisoner using a somewhat similar threat to Mr Cockburn. Have seen it in the papers that the prisoner bad used threatening language at Parihaka. I have reason to fear by these threats that prisoner will carry them out. I desire that prisoner be bound over to keep the peace ; it would be safer for the place. Arthur W. Budge, Manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Manaia, gave corroborative evidence, adding that he did not consider the threat a joke, and that prisoner was not intoxicated, He spoke in broken English. The exact words used were, “I will burn Jihis whare and kill the women and children.”

Henry Cockburn stated ; I am a coachbuilder living at Manaia, I saw the prisoner at my shop on the Bfcb October last. I asked him if there was any danger of the Maoris threatening Manaia. X said this in broken English and Maori. He said “yes; he intended to burn Manaia down.” He was sober ;he spoke quite distinctly, and I had no doubt of what he said.

Henry W, Northcroffc, Sub-Inspector of Armed Constabulary : On the 17th, just while iu custody, and just as some of his people were being made prisoners, Titokowaru said, “So you think that my people will run away. Do you put those children as onr guard to take charge of us ? Have those white people forgotten Te' Ngutu o te Manu and Moturoa ? This is your (lay ; my day is coming. Do you suppose the white people are a noble race V When he used the words Ngutu o te Manu and Motaroa, I understood him to refer to the fight at those places, where the Natives were victorious.

The prisoner was called upon to show cause why he should not be bound over to keep the peace, and he said, ** I don’t know anything about what has been spoken.” The Court ordered the defendant to find two sureties of £SOO to keep the peace for 12 months. In the meantime be will be kept at the common gaol at New Plymouth.