DOUBLE MURDER NEAR GISBORNE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1548, 3 February 1887, Page 3

DOUBLE MURDER NEAR GISBORNE.

Gisboknb, Feb. 1. Later accounts confirm the report of the double murder at Pahatik'oliko. Sergeant ' Bullen went up yesterday, and this morning tent down for the Coroner to go up, but neither has returned. The persona killed are Noko and hie wife. Noko w»« a well known and respected Native, about fifty. Reports say that a short time ago Noko told another Native, then in good health, he would die in three dayc, and he died. Upon this others believed Noko had bewitohed deceased, and they assert he had sent an evil spirit into a small hole nenr which deceased stood or sat. Noko and his wife were shot dead as they slept in their wbare the night before last, and the hut was then fired and the corpses burned beyond recognition. It isstated also that a boy was sleeping in the wbare at the : time,- and- he escaped naked to Ormond yesterday, where he was given olothei. This was the first news of the tragedy* So far there is reported to be no clue to the actual, culprits. Some fifty or seventy Natives live within a very small radius. It is not an unknown thing for Natives to acouie persons, of witchcraft and put them.to death, but Noko. was not one of the'sort of p. pple usually accused of this offence. It s earns at present doubtful if the guilty will be detected. Later. It is now etated that the whole hapu of some fifty or eizty people were privy to the murder, and bad decided on it at a meeting. It is supposed that the intention was only to. kill Noko, bnt that his wife being awake she was shot also to prevent her identifying the murderers, and then the whare was, fired. If so, it will ba almost impossible to discover the actual culprits. Positive statements, are. - also made, showing that the whole h'apu, except Noko were Hanhaus and believers in Te Kooti.