MURDER AT HUKATERE.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 94, 7 August 1895, Page 2

MURDER AT HUKATERE.

ARREST OF THE MURDERER. STORY OF lIIS CAPTURE. Wire Te Kaahu arrived at Kaipo (Waitotara) about 6.30 p.m. on Monday, and a native named Rio at once went across to Mr Clark’s butcher shop and stated that the murderer had arrived and gone into Te Retui whare. Owing to tbe absence of Constable Quinn (who was inland with a party, it being supposed that the native had made for Piraunui) Mr T. W. Fisher wired to Constable O’Brien, at Waverley, reporting the matter, and afterwards went over to the settlement with Messrs Clark and Wilson, and finding that Wire was with some natives inside, went in to him, and on Mr Fisher searching him to see if be had any weapon about him caused some commotion amongst the natives, who commenced to lie tbe prisoner up, at the same time subjecting him to very harsh treatment. Mr Fisher then told Wire that, as the police wanted him, and would bo down shortly, he had better come over to the township, which he agreed to do. He was then taken over to the cel l . This was about 7.20 p.m. At about 8.25 pm. Constable O’Brien arrived, and Tomoved him to Waverley, where he was brought up before Mr Brabant yesterday, and re* manded (ill Friday. It appears that Wire called at Mr P. Verry’s dwelling on Saturday morning and got something to eat, and also some matches, and seems to have spent the following two days in the bush near Mr McKenzie’s. He had not much on in the way of clothing, having only hat, shirt and trousers on, Wire is about 24 years of age, and has been at Waitotara since 1879, being a nephew of Te Retui, of Kaipo.

[From Chronicle.] Constable Carr took charge of the prisoner and put him on the train for Wanganui, accompanying him in the same carriage. The prisoner, who was handcuffed,, appeared quite cheerful and chatted freely about the murder all the way down to Kai Iwi, at which place an elderly Maori, called Jeremiah, came into the carriage and shook hands with him, and then went out, the prieoner remarking to Constable Carr, “ That is my uncle.” On entering the Kai Iwi tunnel the prisoner wag lying down on one of the g a s in the carriage, the constable sitting at his feet, keeping a hand on his leg to make sure of him. When the train emerged from the tunnel the constable saw, to his horror, • that the pris mer’s throat was cut, and that the prisoner bad in bis hand a butcher’s sheath knife. Ho quickly took the knife from him and threw it up on the parcel rack. The man’s throat was badly cut, the wound being about two inches long, and the blood rushing out. The constable went out on to the platform to see if he could attract the guard’s attention, keeping an eye on the man through the glass door. Ultimately, he thought his prisoner was dead, as one arm hung down touching the floor of the carriage and his eyes were closed, but, after three or four minutes, he suddenly jumped up, let the window down and bounded out. The constable rushed in, but the man was too quick, and landed on the permanent way. He did not appear injured by tho fall and jumped up and started running as hard as he could bat k towards Kai Iwi. As the constable con’d not communicate with the guard, the through doors being ’ocked, he was taken on to Brunswick, from where he ran back and found the prisoner’s back near a creek. Being late he walked ou to Kai Iwi, and was arranging with the natives for a search to go out in the morning, when he saw the man sitting on the seat in front of the hotel. It was then dark, and the constable waited wi:h the prisoner until the buggy arrived which was sent out by Sergeant Cullen with Sergeant Villars and Constable Sherman. Constable Carr is perfectly certain that there was no possibility of the prisoner getting possession of a knife after he took charge of him, and we understand that the prisoner has since signified, by signs (as he is unable to speak) that the knife was bis own property. He was brought into the Wanganui Hospital at 9 o’clock last night, where the wound was stitched by Dr Saunders, and, so far as we can gather ho is likely to recover.