ADZE V. BROOM-HANDLE

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 43

ADZE V. BROOM-HANDLE

THE COURT DECIDES. One day during the year 185 —, I happened to be lying on a sofa in a room of an hotel at Napier, facing an open doorway, which looked into a large room that was being added to the house, runs an article in a northern exchange by the late Lieutenant-colonel M'Donnell. The carpenters Were working at their bench in the further end of the new apartment, which was roofed and boarded in, but the floor had not been laid down. The joist was as yet all that had been laid, excepting where the carpenters' benoh stood. I lay at full length on the sofa, reading a book. Some hundreds of Maoris and their chiefs were collected a few hundred yards distant from the hotel, at the only other house of the same description then in the township, being there engaged with the land commissioners, who were purchasing land from the Natives assembled, land which partly belonged to weaker tribes, who afterwards would have to agree to the sale on the principle of "half a loaf bein<r better than no bread!" Maori law is, that "When a strong man keepeth his palace, his goods (i.e.. his lands) are in peace. But when a stronger man than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him all his ' armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoil." •' . As I lay on the sofa reading, a chief entered the room where the carpenters were at work. This man had some two years previous purchased some clothes from a Mr 9 M'Carthv, promising to pay her a price, then agreed upon,' but up to this time had carefully avoided doing so. Mrs M'Carthy, seeing the chief in the room, and knowing he" had received several hundreds of pounds from tine sale of land, thought it an opportunity not to be missed of getting her money, and advanced over the joist to the chief. My attention wag attracted by the broken English in which she, poor woman, was asking for her right. "You makee payee me the money for the coatee and troueery. you olenty of money now." "JTxi atu" (stcid off), growled the savage. "Kahore!" "You telee -me givee the money," &aid Mrs M'Carthy. INTO THE FRAY. -

The chief clenched hia fist and knocked her down. I sprang towards tho chief and sent him sprawling under the joist. I had barely picked up i\lrs M'Garthy when the Maori, foaming with passion, rose, his eyes glared with fury, end he grasped an adze which was on tho bench, and made at mc with a scream. I glanced round for some weapon. My eye lit on a hair-broom. I mad© a dart for it, kicked off the broom from the handle, and faced about just in time to ward off the adze. I used the broom handle as a short spear, but, unfortunately, it was of light wOod,_ and had not a point, but I made the chiefs head ring with it, and r.t last knocked the adze from his fingers. 1 beat him back out of the passage into the front of the house, where many Natives were gathered together. He pulled out his greenstone mere, and danced about, shouting to his people. They came round us, and we were separated. To have been struck with the adze would, of course, have meant death. I was at this time attached to the R.M.'s Court as interpreter, and I spoke to Mrs M'Garthy about the matter, and urged her to summons the. fellow for the assault and the debt. She had been sadly hurt. She replied: "It is of no use." "Is it not?" I, said. "It shall be of use," and I procured a summons on her account. Court day was held on the first Monday of every month, and it wanted about ono week to that time. I .sent the chief tho summons, backed by a- letter from myself. I forgot what I told him would happen if he did not make his appearance, but gaols and ro.id work were more than once hinted at; and I am not quite sure that I did not say that knocking down a European woman was next to hanging, especially as our Sovereign was a woman —unless utu (payment) was made the next court day. _ The day arrived, and the chief rode in, attended by a single Native. I waited for the magistrate, but, strange to relate, he had gone on a'boating pnrty, and could not be found. A friend of mine, Mr T. Tanner, happened to be down a't the time, and we both agreed it was a pity the case should not be heard, and the chief fined. A bright idea struck me. "We will hear the case ourselves," and so we did. SOLEMN MAKE-BELIEVE.

Tanner acted as mock clerk, and I as ditto judge:. Sheets of foolscap and. official envelopes were strewed on the table, and a book to swear the witnesses and prisoner on. The defendant was called up, Mrs M'Carthy attended, and the court was duly opened. The clerk was ordered to swear the plaintiff, and something was scribbled down. I told the chief, with a grave face, that his conduct was awful. _ and that all the woman had said was quite true, as I had seem it myself; at the same time if he chose to deny it we would hear him. He acknowledged the assault, and said he had been drinking: he also acknowledged to the debt of £2. > I said: "I am glad to hear you acknowledge it; you will now only have to pay the debt or £2 and £3 for the assault, besides court fees, which will be ss, after which you will apologise to Mrs M'Carthy and express your sorrow for your abominable conduct to her. As regards myself and our little affair.l am quite willing to begin again at the point where we left off when we were interrupted; but if you are satisfied, "i will look over what took place and shake hands." The chief paid the money, and we handed it over to Mrs M'Carthy. We now shook hands all round, and the repentant chief called and paid for two bottles of ale, which we partook of. On the return of the R.M. the following day I told him what had taken place. "Did he pay the money," he inquired. "Yes," I replied. "Thank goodness it's over," h© said. "T don't want to hear any more about it," and the subject was dismissed. Tahera and myself have been excellent friends since 1855. - .