THE WAITOTARA MURDER.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 765, 24 September 1878, Page 2

THE WAITOTARA MURDER.

* I (per press agency.) Wellington, September 23. The Government has received a number of telegrams relative to the murder on the M/>mahaki block. From these it appea?;a that the suspicion points to a Native named Hiroki, at Pahipau, Waitotara, who is said to have lied in the direction of Taupo or Waikato. All the information received points to the murder being purely a private one. A number of j Native chiefs now in Wellington are very | much shocked at. the occurrence, and ; have sent telegrams to their people <o • apprehend the murderer. Mcsfc active j measures are being also tinker, by the j Government. Tor the apprehension of the | murderer. '*~\~n.-. Native Minister is as- j sured »hai the crime has no political j signiiicauee whatever, j Mr. Noon has applied to Mr. Sheehan, '; Native Minister, for authority to send a j canoe with Maori constables up the j Wanganni River to arrest the supposed j murderer of M'Leau, who is believed j to be en route for Taupo, The Waitotara track joins the WasiganvH River about 70 miles up, The Native Minister received to-day a further telegram respecting the murder of M'Lean at Waitotara. The Natives held a meeting this morning and sent a telegram stating that they believed Hiroki to be the murderer, and they are sow taking steps to vindicate the lav,". Rewi telegraphs to-day,, ia reply to the Native Minister, as follows : —"Have just received your wire, in which you inform ! me of the discovery of the body of a j European at Waitotara, supposed to have . been shot by a Maori. Imo too stricken | with grief at this news. Let me have the ; fullest possible sews as soon as you can." Another telegram informs the Native Minister that a public meeting was held at Waverley this morning, at which resolutions were passed endorsing the verdict of the jury, and expressing their opinion that the 'murder was committed by a Maori. They also ask the Government to take steps to arrest the murderer, and j to publish a reward for his appr eh elision. The Government have despatched telegrams to Rewi, Major Sinclair, and all the officers along the line of country through which the murderer would be likely to travel, instructing them to capture the murderer, if possible. In commenting upon the murcley, the local press do not consider it has any i political ov is indicative of I any hostile feeing on the part of the j Maoris, !