A MAORI CHARGED WITH MURDER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11684, 17 March 1900, Page 8

A MAORI CHARGED WITH MURDER.

(Prcn U.viTßn Press Association.) NAPIER, March 16. The inquest in connection with the Maori tragedy near Hastings was held this afternoon. It was shown' that the woman Arifci Pan had been living with Her busbund, Ropata, at the Ohiti Pa, though the parties had been on previous occasions separated, kavly on the morning ofHhe 12th inst. ir.irii)"\a, another Maori woman heard painful m and on getting up,' found uopata striking Ins wife on the head with a large axe, inflicting a nasty wound, from which she never recovered, and she was too weak prior to her death to enable her depositions to be taken. Ropata, when questioned by Taranaki Teua why he had committed the offence, declared he was pleased to have killed his wife, and would submit to the law. The Jury returned a verdict I .hat deceased died through injuries inflicted ' by her husband, who was brought up on ' a cnargo of wilful murder and remanded I to Wednesday next. The crime was the : outcome evidently of a fit of blind passion ; the accused being very jealous of his wife' j wiio whs a young woman and very goodlooking. Accused, throughout the inquest ! wept, ior. prior to the woman's death ap- i parently he had not realised the cnonnitv , ut the crime he had committed. "