DESECRATION OF A GRAVE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7136, 19 November 1894, Page 2

DESECRATION OF A GRAVE

Kaimkk, to-day. — Information wae «- oeired io town on Saturday that the grave* of the Hepnka family at Te Hawke bad beeo deeecraUd, and the polios proceeded at once to investigate the matter. Oo arrival at the »pot they found the Netivee in a great state of consternation and excitement. Four large concrete slabs, each weighing ***** Jcwt, bad been removed from tbe vault, and the coffins of several well-noted Maoris rudely disturbed, two coffins having been raited completely oo i end. Evidently whoever is responsible for the deeeoratioa went there with the idea of obtaining valuable treasures supposed to have been buried with tbe chiefs, but to this they were disappointed, as nothing bad bom MtnOTtd. The ra«U w*« aie« ha*. i» circumference, five feet underneath the ground and four above it- The bet chief buried there wae Wataaoe Hapuka, four years ago, and the marauders had to move the two top coffins before they could get at that containing the body of an old chief boned sixteen yean ago. The affiur is at preeent a mystery, but co long a time has elapsed since tbe vault was visited that it is feared the culprit will remain undiscovered. Horn Hepuka, the present chief, sayt bo hi determined to move the structure and have the vault properly cemented over. The deeeerated grave was within a few yardt of the pfth.