WHEN NATIVES QUARREL.

Wairarapa Age, 10 March 1923, Page 5

WHEN NATIVES QUARREL.

THE BLACK ROCK AFFRAY. HAEATA COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Charged with the attempted murdej of James Kenrick at Black Rock station on February 4, Pakira Butler Haeata, an intelligent looking native of 30 years appeared before Mr S. L. P. Free, S.M.. at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr W. Noble appeared for the accussed and Sergeant Sweeney conducted the case for the police. During the hearing the body of the Counv- was filled with natives. WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED. James Kenrick, a half-caste, said he was a shepherd and drover, residing at Blackrock Station, near Masterton. He had known Haeata for a couple of years. He saw Haeata, on February 3, on the road at Te Ore Ore. Haeata pulled up, and sang out. “Well Jim!” and witness replied, “Well, Butler!” (the name by which Haeata was known), “Aren’t you going to shake hands?” and Haeata said. “No. I told you to get off the place,” meaning Cameron's. Witness said, “I’m not interfering With you,” and Haeata replied: “You are; you passed my place two or three times.” Witness said, “I passed by your place to go to town for stores.” Witness asked Haeata if be had said he was going to shoot him. and Haeata sad “Yes.” Haeata said. "I. want you to get oft the place: I’ve got no time for my wife now.” Haeata’s wife was living at witness’s; place. The last thing Haeata said to witness on the road was, “It’s better for you to stop; I’ll go awav from here.” They parted on the road and witness arrived home at 7 o’clock. The inmates of his house that night were his daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, and Mrs Haeata. He intended to get up at 1.30 to take stock to the freezing works and left the house at 2.30, driving away from the stable. When about a chain and a half away from the stable he heard a voice singing out, “Pull up, Kenrick!” “MAKE A GOOD JOB OF IT! ”

He looked over and saw accussed running by the side of the fence. Witness would be about six yards from the front gate, and Haeata was about four yards on the other side. Haeata got up and sat on the gate. He had the gun with him. Witness sang out, “It that you, Butler?” and Haeata replied, “That’s me.” Witness sang out, “All right, give me time,” and got out of the trap. He walked away from the trap and took his coat and hat off and hung them up. He then walked up to Haeata. who was about six yards away. Witness said “Yop may as well make a good job of it while you are at it.” Haeata took a long aim and let fire. Witness moved a little and got one shot over the eye.

He felt the shot go past and hit the splashboard of the cart. Haeata ran at witness with his gun presented. The horse was rearing up, and when witness grasped the horse’s reins he got a second shot in the lift hip. Witness ran straight to tbe house and when about six yards away from the back of the trap be got a shot in the right shoulder. After this witness made for the house. Three shots had so far been fired at him. Before he got inside another shot was fired and the fourth shot hit the from.. door. IVitaess was yelling out all the time with pain. He rushed into the house and werit“to the front door. Haeata was then outside on the verandah. Haeata sang out to witness’s daughter in the Maori language, telling her to get out of tlie house. The women all got into the passage. Witness was standing near the door; next to him was Lizzie, then Mary, and Mrs Haeata.

KENRirK RETURNS THE FIRE. Accused fired shot through the window. Witness thought Mari- was shot, and pushed her away. He then rushed for his own gun, a doublebarrelled Remington. He returned to the passage to a door leading to a bedroom. Accused was walking up and down the verandah and had broken the glass from the Window with his gun. While witness was standing in the doorway of the b«-d--room He saw accused pass and prepare to turn. M’hile he was turning, witness raised his gun and fired at him. Accused had a gun at the time. He did not see accused till about 10 minutes later. He then heard Haeata s ing out, “Come on, Jim, let’s shake hands and be good friends.” Witness thought accused was only coaxing him to show lamself till ho had another go at him. Accused went round one side of the house and then came back to the verandah. He came 'to the window where witness had fired through. He put his arm through the window and crawled through. Witness kept .accused covered with his gun. “Are you quite safe?” and accused rejilied, “Yes, I’m quite safe.” Witness passed his gun over to one of the girts Witness grabbed accused by the arm, pushed him into the passage and on to the verandah. Tho girls brought chairs and they sat down. Accused wanted to go away, but they would not let him. They told him they had telephoned for the doctor. Accused did not say why he had tried to shoot witness and did not make any reference to his wife. The coat, shirt, singlet and cardigan jacket produced were worn by witness when he was shot. The blood on his shirt and singlet was the result of the shot wounds. The holes through the bank not<>j produced were aho caused by the shot going through the.n hi his pocket. THZ3 CROSS-EXAMINATION. Mr Noble: Didn’t you know why accused want'd to shoot vou?—l hud heard months before that* he intend- <1 to shoot me, but not from him. I suppose he had his reason. What was the reason? Beeiuse his wife was at Blackrock That’s the whole trouble, I suppose. Isn’t it a fact that you had tak<n this man’s wife away from him?—No. Were you carrying on immoral »olations with accusod’e -wJe? —No reply. His Worship fto tvitne®' W'vr x you and this woman living together as man and wife prior to the shoe tino?—Yes.

Mr Noble: Didn’t you take his wife : away?—«No. he forced his wife into . my hands. And yet you asked him to shake hands?—Yes, we had. been good friends all the time and had always , shaken hands. • Did his wife force herself into your hands?—At first she did. . So a woman tempted you?—Yes. | “Something like Adam!” remarked counsel. How old are you?— About forty. I How old is Mrs Haeata? —Perhaps about 28; I don’t know. I Have you ever had any trouble i with any other man and his wife?— i Yes. • Did that wile also force herself on I to you?—Yes. “You seem to be having a rough : time with wives forcing themselves on to you,” drily remarked counsel. j Mr Noble: When Haeata broke the ■ window was there anyone in the room?—Yes* we were all in the room. ! The lamp was buring. He did not fire. He was singing out to the girls to get out of the way. Accused could not see them when he fired the last shot. And before he had time to fire, any more shots you fired at him?—Yes. Don’t you think he had done enough. He was walking up and down the verandah. MEDICAL EVIDENCE. James Alexander Cowie, m?d : c..l practitioner, said that on Feb. 4 ax 4 a.m. he was called to Blackrock, where the previous witness and the accussed were sitting together on the verandah of the house. Kenrick said he was shot and Haeata was bleeding from the arm. Witness dressed Haeata’s arm and both men were conveyed to the Masterton Hospital. A further examination revealed that Kenrick was wounded in the right shoulder. About 50 pellets were imbedded in the shoulder, and about 25 in the left buttock. Haeata’s left forearm was shattered and numerous pellets and wads were removed. By Mr Noble: The shots fired by Kenr’ck were at closer range than that fired by Haeata. Kenrick evi- ! dently intended to kill Haeata? They ; had fired at each other, but I could not s ay what their intention were. THE SHOOTING. Elizabeth Kenrick. daughter of James Kenrick. said she came to s tay with her father at Blackrock station, s Witness, her sister, her father and ■ Mrs Haeata all slept in the dining j room on the night of Feb 3. Witness j wag awakened by her father run ling ■' through the house looking for his ' gun. Haeata was then coming up on !to the verandah. Witness’s father : told her to leave the house, and take i her sister with her. Witness oegged j Haeata to leave them alone, but he J continued to shoot and one charge . came down the passage. The Ajomen j then retired to the dining room and ' Kenrick fired through the window at ? Haeata. The latter opened the win- ■ dow and came in and implored Kenrick to shoot him. Witness could not give any reason for Haeata attempting to shoot her father. To Air Noble: My father and Mrs Haeata did not change their rooms when my sister and I arrived from Levin. I did not actually see any shooting except my father shooting at Haeata.

Alary Kenrick sister of the previous witness, gave corroborative evidence. POLICE EVIDENCE.

John Devine, constable at Maite?ton, detailed a trip to Blackroek at 4.30 a.m. on Feb. 4 in company with Sergeant Sweeney, and Constables Phillips and Culloty. On arrival Haeata admitted doing the shooting. Dr Cowie dressed Haeata’s wound and witness made a search of rhe bouse, finding a cartridge case ’.ns de the Jront door. It wa s a different brand of ammunition from that witness found outside when approaching the house. Witness also found Kenrick’® gun inside the house. Ha ?ata told witness that he walked oub tc Blackrock from Lansdowne in the Saturday night with the intention of killing Kenrick, as his (Haeata’s)

wife was living with Kenrick. Haeata said: ”1 tr'd Kenrick that if he did not leave the district I would shoot him . tcld me that he would not go.” Ac? j s ed said he arrived at Biackrock at 3 a.m., and fired at Kenrick as he was leaving his house. Kenrick ran b.vk and got his gun and shot at Halite-. througn the window. Witness accompanied the two men to the hospital and assisted to undress them. Nine Eley cartridges were found on accused, and three cartridges of a different make were found. At the hospital accused frankly discussed the matter. He gave Witness a long statement of how he had implored Kenrick to leave his wife. Kenrick had refused, and distracted by the loss of his wife’s affections, he set out for Blackrock intent on killing both his wife and Kenrick. To Air Noble: Haeata gave me the statement about 11.30 a.m. on the Sunday and was quite normal. I did not tell him that anything he said would be used as evidence against him as evidence for the prosecution. AFTER THE SHOOTING. Reuben Phillips, constable at Masterton, corroborated Constable Devine’s evidence regarding the police visit to Blackrock on the morning of February 4. Haeata’s left arm was wounded and Kenrick was sitting with hig arm round Haeata’s shoulder. Kenrick said: “I shot him (meaning Haeata) and he shot me twice.” Dr Cowie then arrived and dressed the wounds of both men. Haeata admitted that be had shot first. , On the way to the hospital Kenrick related his movements that morning. "When he was leaving the house to come to town he saw Haeata near the bridge. Haeata said: “It this you Kenrick, I have come to finish you.” Kenrick replied : “ Well, make a good job of it.” Haeata then

fired several shots until Kenrick took refuge in the house. A few moments later Kenrick fired at Haeata through window. Haeata who was in the car with witness and Kenrick agreed that this statement was correct. At 1 p.m. on the same day witness took charge of the two men at the public hospital. During the afternoon they were conversing about the episode and witness said he would take a statement to which they both agreed. Haeata’s statement was similar to that which he gave to Constable Devine. Tt said that Haeata was sore over Kenrick alleviating the affection of Haeata’s wife and he ♦ threatened

to shoot Kenrick. He left for Blackrock with the full intention of shoot ing Airs Haeata, Kenrick and then, himself. Just before the police arrived Haeata wanted to go and shoot himself but Kenrick and the girls would not let him. Continuing his evidence witness said the scrim and paper on the walls of the passage were torn and there was a pool of blood down the path from the front door. On February 11. witness visited Haeata’s house and found 10 cartridges similar to those found on Haeata. and to those found in his gun. Sergeant Sweeney detailed the receiving of a ’phone message from Blackrock at 3.30 a.m. on February 4. and corroborated the evidence of other constables who attended at the scene of the "tragedy. This closed the case for the prosecution. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed for trial at the” next sessions at the Supreme Court. A FURTHER CHARGE. Pakira Haeata was further charged with failing to register a .shot-gun. His Worship sai’d he would entirely dissociate this offence from what had happened afterwards, and would treat the matter in the same way as any ordinary offender. Haeata had been warned to register the weapon and had failed to do so, He would be convicted, and fined £5. The gun was ordered to be forfeited to the State.