CROWN’S CASE CLOSED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18332, 26 February 1934, Page 7

CROWN’S CASE CLOSED

TRIAL OF NELSON AMENDMENT OF CHARGES APIA, Fob. 25. Sergeant Seiuli, under cross-examina-tion when the Nelson case was resumed, said that the taalolos given in honor of Nelson in September were Mau functions, because they were organised and attended by Mau natives. Vaeluaga and Leitu, taxi-drivers, gave evidence of driving Mau visitors to the defendant’s residence at Tuaefu, and the prosecution closed its case. The judge called Faumuina Fiame, the Mau president, as the court’s witness, and asked him to relate all that he knew concerning Nelson’s alleged association with the Mau in August and Sep tember of 1953, the period covered in the charges. The witness said that the natives’ discontent prior to the citizens’ meeting of 1926 was not due to the influence of Nelson. The Mau first desired to obey the law and pay taxes, but, after the visit of Sir William Nosworthy, and til© banishment of witness, it was decided to cease to pay taxes, and quietly to break the laws. He alleged that the motto, “Samoa for the Samoans” was first used by Sir George Richardson against possible complications resulting and liable to cause friction between the natives and Europeans. The judge recommended that the eight charges being heard should be amended to a singlo simple one. and undertook to supply counsel with instructions on the course to pursue. He also offered to recall any of the witnesses to assist the defence. It is reported that the defence rests solely on legal argument as to the validity of the Samoan Seditious Regulations of 1930.