INTERESTING MAORI CASE.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 12

INTERESTING MAORI CASE.

DISPUTE AS TO BURIAL. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

AUCKLAND, May 24

A peculiar and interesting law case is said to be likely to eventuate shortly in connection with the recent death at Ngaraawahia, of a Native chief of the Tainui tribe.

According to the story related by a member of the tribe named, a chief named Honana died at Ngaruawahia on April 26 last. A tangi was duly held, which came to a conclusion on the 29th, which was a Friday. Now, Ramana Nutana, the leading chief of the Tainuis. desired that Honana should be buried at "Raglan, where he had been born, and where his Barents were interred, while the Hon. Mr Mcibuta ordered that the remains be interred in the "royal " burying ground on Taupiri Mountain. The mana of Mahuta was upheld by the burial of the late chief at Taupiri, but Eamana Nutana was not satisfied. He is said' to have lelegrapfred to three of his people at Raglan to iojn him at Taupiri. They duly responded to the call, and meeting Ram ana Nutana, who meantime had armed himself .with a shovel, tho four repaired in a buggy in the ctead of night on the Friday, to the place of burial at Taupiri. The four Natives dug up their late chief, and placing the coffin in the buggy proceeded to transfer it to Raglan. En route Eamana Nutana is said to have called at his own house at Ngaruawahia at 5 a.m. on the Saturday, and to have told his wife to inform Mahuta that he had secured l the corpse. With his three assistants he reached Raglan at 10 a.m. on the Saturday. A little later the constable at that place is stated to have received a telegram from Mahuta asking him to bring back to Ngaruawahia the living chief and the dead one. An informant states that the police officer, however, could not discover any law under the provisions of which he could' hold either Ramana Nutana or his resurrected friends. The benefit of the constable's doubt went to the credit of Ramana Nutana, who on the SuMfey a'fternoon, unobstructed by the bewildered guardian of the law, and supported by his tribesmen, reburied the much travelled body of Honana alongside his parents' grave. The sequel to this interesting story consists in a statement to the effect that Ramana Nuatana yesterday received word in Auckland that he and his three companions in the midnight trip to the Taupiri graveyard', are to be served with summenses, issued at the instance of M jJ "' lt< *--