MURDER OF ROBERT S. RAYNER.

Otago Witness, Issue 620, 16 October 1863, Page 7

MURDER OF ROBERT S. RAYNER.

(From the Correspondent oTthe Advwliser.) Kancriliki, September 25. The inque3t, which had be- n adjourned on the 18th in s t, wns resumed to-d^y, and ad 'itional cvi 'enee wns lak-n, but not/ms; wansnired which hcilculated to throw any fredi ii^ht on this terrible mystery. Bull reiterated hi* account of the private interview between him and Eavier, regarding mnnr-y matters, on the night of the 27 tb Aucrusl. ' Having been one of the p-u-ty who eximi.h d deceased's houie on t'-o ni^htof the 2nd September, md having nisi bneu pn-senfc v,'hen the bo ly was exhumed on tie fol!ov\i-i« day, ho cor oborated tho ovidenco fjiven by Mr M 'Donald and other* respecting what transpired on these occasions. •• On the night of t'le 27'h August, Joseph Freelh, who waj sleepm<? at Bull's, hear I a nr.Jjj win Vii seemed to be that of bomb bjin? rattled tot-vllier. Having risen from b.-d to a«csrtain the c-usp, he found that soma hor^g had ro^ amongst the siwn timber piled cl^ssti Ball's Hotel. Kepa. an aboriginal n?li7o, proved his Invhvr be n in TliyneA employment ft,r a sh v t period, terminadaj; some days pievious to the 2?th Vii"irt. lie hnd h"->n.il. work ploiri'ig iv the swiuip/nad knew oi natives having b<>en erap'oyel by deaonscd at similar work, but Ind hcn,i"d of 1:0 disputes between them and jßayjier, nor did he see or hew of any strange natives in the neighborhood about the time of the murder. At this stage of the proceedings the Coroner shewed to the jury a letter, fie contents of which have not nublialy transpired,, hut as they isi-cined to hold out a hope of somo new evidence beln<? produced lnafewdayn, the inquiry was asrain adjournea to Wednesday, ths 30th September.

30th September. Fur3uant to the adjournment the inquisition was resumed this morning. Tbe letter read by the Coroner on the occasion of the last meeting referred I to a conversation amongst Maories partially overj hoard by a person na-ned Shields, and from which, it was supposed that the murder had been committed by three natives with, the connivance of the halfca^e Henry Hiirni'ton. Mr Shields was examined to-day, but his evidence did not much affect the case, and in the afternoon the iiny retired to consider their veruici. They were unable to a?;ree, anl at 8 o'ciock were locked up by Coroner for the night, Next mornincc they returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased had been wilfully murdered by some person : or per on unknown, 4 The sulscription which wns commenced by the settlers for the purpose of offering a reward tbr the discovery and conviction of the murderer or murderers, aniouiits to nearly LBOO in Kangitiki and Wanganui. Given, very !— An amusing scene took place at the Pohoe Court yesterday morning. One of our po»bemes 3 a nativa of the Emerald Islo, having been place,! i*i tbs witness box in a case of gmgstealinff by sonic solJier?, sn amusing episode occurred. After bsing; duly sworn the following dialogue took place. It. M. : What are you ? TVitness : Paddy Keardon, vonr Honor. R. M. : What is your profession] Witness : A Catholic, your Worship. R.M. Bat what arc you now ] Witness : An Irishman, your lordsliip. This was a clincher, and our reporter as well as the m-jority of peisons present, finding it impossible to pieserve their gravity any lo'nßcr, and ieann? to compromise thp dignity of the court had to m slope j" so that we are unfortunately unable to give tho Fequel of this interesting: dialogue. New Zealand Steam Navigation Com paw (Limited). An extraordinary general meeting of the nnreh"ldeiH of this Uompnny, convened hy advertisearnt, was hell at Hie Wellington Athenaeum on Thursday la«t the Ist instant, at 2 o'clock, for the purpose of fixing a diy for the next half-yeaiW gener-il meeting, in terni3 of the articles of association. Seo. 23, - r - ' 'I'hcrp wors about 50 shareholders present. George Harder, E-x|,, Chairman of the Board of Directors briefly explainrd the oljccta for which the meeting ha! teen convened. f jio\v ; ,;ijt wrolnticu ww Men moveJ by Mr \Y Alien, avJ noconded hy Mr J. Warmoll— '■ Tint the mxt Gener ,1 Meetinjr of the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company (Limned) be held at the Wel'm^on Atl<pna>>im, on Tuesday, the 20th October, at 3 o'clock p.m " The resolution, on being put, was carried unanimously, and that being the only business the meeting then separated. . ■ ,•>..-.