A CHARGE OF WIFE MURDER.
. [Pb» Pbess Association.] . NAPIER, June 20. The charge of wife murder against Ropata Paraire occupied the Supreme Court for two days, ending in a verdict of manslaughter, iix which t&e Chief Justice expressed his concurrence, but he deferred sentence. The most remarkable feature of the evidence was the widespread belief in witchcraft shown by educated Natives. Ropata wa9 educated at To Aute College. His wife, to whom he was married in Maori fashion, left him. He followed her, tried every, means to induce her to return, including spells furnished by a tohunga, who is also a Catholic preacher. He believed that she was in love with another Maori and, according to his own evidence, she told him not to bother her any more, as she was going to join the other man at Wairoa, and in a fit of passion he picked up an axa lying at hand and struck her on the head with it.
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Bibliographic details
Star (Christchurch), Issue 6827, 21 June 1900, Page 4
Word Count
161A CHARGE OF WIFE MURDER. Star (Christchurch), Issue 6827, 21 June 1900, Page 4
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