RELIGIOUS FRENZY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 November 1942, Page 6

RELIGIOUS FRENZY

LEADS TO SERIOUS FRACAS MAORI KILLED IN PITCHED BATTLE SIX MEN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ROTORUA, November 26. Evidence called by the police revealed that religious frenzy occasioned by the preachings of a Maori who claimed he was God was at the bottom of the serious fracas which occurred at Waiotapu on October 26 between seven Maoris, the police, and military provosts. As the result of a pitched battle one Maori died, and another received a fractured skull. Police Constable Kilgour suffered a fractured skull and several other police and Maoris were severely injured. Six Maoris who were arrested appeared in the Magistrates’ Court, Rotorua, yesterday charged with causing actual bodily harm, assault, resisting, and obstructing the police. They were Rehu Raihana, aged 19, Micky Reihana, aged 18, Ray Reihana', aged 36, Tim Reihana, aged 31, and Ken Raihana, aged 25, brothers, of Taupo, and Henry October, aged 29, also of Taupo. Witnesses testified that Rallu Reihana, who was killed in the fracas, set himself up as God. He declared that he had power to destroy any person who tried to resist or arrest him. Family differences had arisen over Rahu’s threats and claims, and as a result the police were called to eject some troublesome members from a forestry hut they were illegally occupying. Constable Kilgour tried to reason with the Maoris but was savagely attacked and battered about the head with a baton. His two companions were also attacked. A second police party went to the scene with instructions to use violence as a last resort. The Maoris resisted violently with wooden batons and in the' resultant fight Rahu Reihana received a fractured skull from which he died. Ken Reihana had his skull fractured, but recovered.

The concluding police evidence was the production of a statement taken in custody from Ray Reihana as spokesman for the party. He said they all had made up their minds to plead guilty and regretted the whole affair. He explained that at the time of the fracas all had been seized with a feeling which they themselves could not understand. This had caused them to do what they had. They knew they had done wrong. All accused pleaded guilty and were committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence.