STATEMENT BY THE PRISONER.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 77, 31 July 1863, Page 3

STATEMENT BY THE PRISONER.

Hori made the following statement :— On ihe Ist of May I went down south to a place called Ti Ikaroa.* I went on there to wait for the Wanganui natives who were expected. When I went there I left mv "an with a relation named Meihani /Mason). On the 4th of May the Europeans were killed at the Wairau. On the evenin" of tlie 4ih of May a messenger came to inform us that the Europeans were killed. On the evening or the 4th of May I came back again from Ti Ikaroa, and slept ai a place called Pniakamaho. On Tuesday we came on to tlie Kaitake ; there we found the Europeans were dead. When I came there, they gave me another gun, two. rings, and a pair of long boots. , The man with whom I Itjftmy gun had the rifle, pft'r of boots, and tin*, two rings; so mv companion kept my old g^in^w^^mself and gave me this new one (pointing to the rifle on the table). He pave me the rifle, undone ot the rings— not the cartoachbox, but only tlie gun. The cartouch box arid the watch were given me by my grandfather, with the losket that was ap pentad ! to the watch. As they had no caps for their guns, one of the boots was sold to gefe. v caps. When the boot was sold, the top was cuf off to make coverings for cartouch boxes, the boots being too small to he worn by us. One of the rings was given to a female named Anne I have spoken of the whole property ; now 1 am going to show how I became possessed of it. When we go to fight the property that is taken from the dead man is taken to the native pah. , The propeny taken from the dead man is not kept by the man who takes it, but it is given to one of his near relations to cause him to be brave in war. All the persons that had any property taken from Europeans on the 4th May gave it to other parties ; none were kept by themselves. That is the native custom of disposing of the property of persons killed in wrr. If a person taking any trophy in ( war was to keept it himself, it would be considered* an ill omen, and that is the reason why it is given to any other. These artt&ies that are given (lent) to natives going 1 out to fight are returned after the war is over to the parties who took them first. The Judge after an impressive address sentenced the prisoner to be hung.