JIMMY RAE'S JUMPING CASE AT OHINEMURI.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1900, 4 February 1875, Page 3

JIMMY RAE'S JUMPING CASE AT OHINEMURI.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sib, —Your morning contemporary of to-day gives a very fair account of a cs.se of land jumping at Ohinemuri on Tuesday last. It is difficult for even a newspaper correspondenttoknow all the ins and, outs of a matter like this : these, however* are the facts.

On Monday last, after dark, Mr and , Mrs Bae, with whom I have had previous acquiantance since shortly after the open- | ing of the Thames as a goldfield in 1867, came to my house at Ohinemuri, saying that they could not get accommodation at Austin's Hotel, and that they had no tent with them. 1 said my wife was absent from home, and there were only myself and other men about. Ultimately I gave up my own bed and bed room to Mrs Bae for the night. In the morniig, I found out accidentally that Mr Bae was making a bargain with a native named Hopihona for some of my own land. I cautioned Mr Eae very civilly and quietly that the native had no right, and never had had any right in the land. Mr Eae replied that he did not care; he would see about that. Later on, I found that Kae was landing timber on a Maori tapu, and I told the man who was doing the work, a pakeha-Maori known among the natives as Tommy Tuti, to desist. I was politely told to "go to h 1 you b r." I didn't go there; I did go for the police, but they were not at the camp at the time, and Bae and his men removed the timber before they came, ab&iit> an hour afterwards. By this time, the building, a frame for a tent, was on the ground where it wasintended to erect it. This ground is partly tapu, and has for some years been attached to my private house. It is purchased land, held under a parliamentary title. ■ I again cautioned Bae not to proceed with the work at peril of the consequences, and I did it in presence of the two constables —Madill and. Stapleton. The work did proceed, and having no axe at home, I went to a bush about a mile away, got the axe I usually use at bushwork myself, and before going into my own house at, all, cutout the studs of the frame. "While doing this, Bae. who was present, cried out —" My God, Mitchell, don't do that, and I'll pay you rent." I did not use the axe any more, but I said, •• It's too late, now, Mr Bae, you should have said that this morning." No more took place then, other than that a digger cried, out *' We don't want a by pawn shop before the place is open." I left the ground and went to my tea. At & later hour in the" evening, the Native left in charge of the land, Waituruturu, and Hopihona who had professedly given Bae a lease, had some words, and . Hopi-," hona rushed at Waituruturu with an American axe, and was in the act of making a blow, when J, who had been sitting ,on the grass alongside looking on, leaped to my feet in time to catch Hopihora round the body and rush him back; About 20 diggers then surrounded myself, Waiturutui-u and Hopihona and.put a stop to any further dispute. The natives did threaten to burn down Bae's tent, and they most likely will, as the trespass upon the tapu was in defiance of my orders/ and I am in charge of the tapu and hold the land. ,*'*,**. As to my title, or whether Jjf.iiold the land under a native title or ndt^ft^'ll trythat. Iti any case, I {roHHf Very recently paid a large sum/" {*of ;money to the natives, publ ely, by bant cheque, on this land, and I did so with the full knowledge and consent of the Government. The purchase is one of old standing, before any.Proclamation was issued. Any one taking the trouble will find that I applied to Parliament as to my purchase, and that the Native Minister, in his place in the House,of Representatives, promised that my rights should be respected.* For the fustian threat of Police Court proceedings Ido not care. I have stolen no man's ox, nor his ass, and even so valued and respected a relative as " Mine Uncle " I will not allow to cheat me.—l have, &c, f C, F. Mitchell. February 4.