MAORI CHARGED WITH MURDER.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10779, 30 May 1911, Page 4

MAORI CHARGED WITH MURDER.

(Per Press Association.). ; ... Auckland; May 29. / ' The trial' was begun at th*e' Supreme Court to-day 'of'a-young..'Maori named Tahi Kaka;; charged with the'inurder of John Freeman, an aged gumdigger, at Puhipuhi, -in the ; Whangarei district, on. or about' April sth. The Crown: Prosecutor (Mr Tole) traversed the.details iliat have Already; received publication. freeman, went out'to.his'work with his it of tools on the.'morning; of April oth, and was followed .by a dog belonging'to the whafe.' -The dog returned in four dajrs,.but Freeman Was never seen alive/again. He had been missing some weeks, fell on :Tahi Kaka, who' was ibaking statements and spending money freely, though ly he was short of cash. Later on Kaka admitted.he. had followed Freeman up on the'morning of" April. sth'; and finding out that he had inonCT in. his pocket demanded some. A scuffle ensued; and jthe accused/hit the old gumdigger over the head with'-a- stick '.'arid caused his ileajhi The evidence Bad not concluded when the Court adjourned till to-mor-roTV;.; ',-•/ -.' Auckland, May 30. ' The trial" of. the Maori, Tahi Kaka, charged with the" murder'of John Freeman, at PuhJpuliij was; continued in the Supreme Court this morning. Sergt. Moore produced: a confession'of the cruiie signed He stated that he did not. caution Accused before taking dolVn .his >pnfessi6ii,' as it was made".voluntarily; not in sjhswer to a question. Counsel for prisoner said he Would address .the jury later on the combination- of the. circumstances which implicated Kaka .in. the crime. Meanwhae.he would put'him in the witness"oox: to." tell his .own story, so that the jury .might,'determine whether he was a murderer s Or not.. ' / ■ / -Kaka gave' evidence ; in' fairly good 'English.'' .He/stated that he" was 16 or 17 years.of. age. He described how he accompanied Freeman-in pursuit of gum ; he noticed something bulging in Freeman's hip pocket, and Freeman said he had £2O. Prisoner added, "I thought he was joking, and I said, 'Give me the money or I'll kill you.' " Freeman had a spear in his hand and ;a spade at his side. ''Come on and kill me." said Freeman, who dropped the spade and taking the .spear in both hauls hit at prisoner. Then lie throw the spade, striking prisoner on the shoulder. Freeman made to eluteh pri-.-.■>n:-r hv both hands. Prisoner ducked and Freeman fell on top of him, both going to the ground. .Freeman was irving io get an axe out of his hag. Prisoner hit him three blows over the head with a si irk, and then ran away. As Freeman did not follow, prisoner returned. Freemaii was not quite, dead, and prisoner was very sorry for him. He cried, because he thought he was dead. I'risoner thought ho would be hung for killing a man and. remembering ""that Freeman had said ho had money prisoner took the money out ol his hip pocket.

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