THE RUA TRIAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14054, 26 July 1916, Page 8

THE RU A TRIAL.

(oli (Special' to the Herald*) , * '• :- -AUGkIiAND, this 4 day. ■:* For forty /dajy'S- the 1 - ' trial of "Ru» had dragged methodically ' through the process of examination/ cross-examination, and the taking of rebutting evidence. It was therefore .with a sigh of -relief that the Court heard the announcement of the Crown. Prosecutor yesterday that the last witness had been called. : . Counsel for the defence, Mr. Lundon, commenced his address to the jury, and. is expected to. continue until this afternoon at last. Then follows the address of the. Crown Prosecutor, and finally the summing-up of the Judge. On Friday next the trial will enter npon . the eighth week, and the indications are that the. end will not be reached before then. (Per Press Association.) , .' . AUCKLAND, last hight. The Rua trial was advanced a further stage to-day, when the last witness was heard, and Mr. . Lnndon commenced his address to the jury. Counsel said, inter alia, that despite what had been said to the effect that Rua; had'made.-mis-use of liquor and that he had demoralised his, people, there were no. signs' to bear out this statement. The native's who appeared m Court were fine'specimens of a worthy race. If Rua had deluded his people and had obtained money from them on false pretences, was it any credit to the police or to the Justice Department that, proceedings had not been taken against him under that head? Referring to the, wives, of ifyua, Mr. Lundpn said it did not concern the jury whether accused had nine or 90 wives. .Counsel will continue his address tomorrow. .