THE WAIKAWA MURDER.

West Coast Times, Issue 3750, 13 April 1881, Page 2

THE WAIKAWA MURDER.

Blenheim, April 12. The full particulars relative to the Waikawa tragedy are as follows:—

The Waikawa Pah is distant three and a-half miles from Ficton, and contains a population of some sixty or more fairly well circumstanced Maoris. From information received from sources on the spot, it would appear that " house moving " was taking place on Saturday afternoon, and the contractor for the job, findiag that assistance would be greatly accelerated on the part of the Maoris by supplying them with some liquor, sent for about ten gallons of beer to Picton, on which it would seem the Natives made haste to be merry, and at dusk, in the evening, the community were attracted to the residence of one JUopoama Peni Peni,

a quiet though intemperate Maori. On arrival at his residence, he was seen struggling with his wife, Mary Ropoama and his nephew Bawiri. They were beating him with their fist?, whilst from some cause no one saw Ropoama strike either one or the other. Some Maoris interfering the fight was discontinued for some time only to be renewed shortly after, when a blow from Rawiri knocked his uncle down, his head very probably coming in contact with a tree stump in the orchard where the fight took place. Whether this was so or not, it is clear that Ropoama never spoke afterwards and from that minute gradually sank away until he died on Sunday afternoon.

Of the origin of the fight, the inquest so far as it went on Monday, revealed nothing, but there can be 'no doubt that an intimacy has for some time past existed betweon Rawiri and his aunt, and that this state of his domestic affairs was suspected by Ropoana. The popular voice therefore ascribes the quarrel to have originated ou of the husband having discovered such facts, as to leave no false impression on his mindof the relations existing b2tweenthe two.

On receipt of information, Sergeants Scanlan and Kiely immediately proceeded to the pah. On arrival they were told Bawiri had left the'pah and gone in the direction of Picton. The police fearing that Rawiri might endeavor to escape down the sounds in one of the Maori boats, went to the beach and took out the oars and sails laying about, and placed them in charge of Dan Love a half caste, whom they held responsible for anything that might happen. The police then set to work to search the pah and the adjoining scrub, bnt did not succeed in finding any traces of Rawhi. Towards midnight Sergeant Scanlan and others returned to town, leaving Sergeant Xiley and a young fellow named Godfrey, to watch the pah, it being anticipated that Kawiri would come in early morning for provisions. The night being cold, and inactivity not suiting the energetic disposition of Sergeant Kiely, he proceeded to an old shed at about a mile from the pah, which had been searched the previous evening. On reaching the shed Kiely and Godfrey groped their way inside, and were walking over the hay that was lying about, when Godfrey uttered an I ejaculation, and said that he felt something under his feet. A match was, therefore, struck, and Sergeant Kiely stooped down and lifting it aside, saw he had found the object of their search, buried beneath it at a depth of three feet, with a hay rope twisted round his head, for the purpose of protection against injury from anyone walking on him, and to enable him to breathe freely. He then arrested Rawiri on the" charge of killing Bopoama, and brought him up to Picton, where he arrived at 3 o'clock on Monday morning. The greatest praise is given on all hands to Sergeants Kiely and Scanlan, for the energy displayed by them in securing the person of the alleged murderer, Bawiri.

Rawiri, the prisoner, is a young man of about twenty-four years of age. He has a not unintelligent countenance, and was generally considered to be about the best of the Waikawa Maoris. He conducts himself very quietly, but appears downcast at the unfortunate position in which he has been placed by his conduct.

Mary Ropo&ma, wife of the dead man and supposed paramour of the prisoner, is a pleasant-featured Native of about forty years of age, who bear 3 herself like a stoic under the circumstances. She has been arrested on a charge of aiding and abetting Rawiri in killing her husband. THE CORONER'S INQUEST. Later, The inquest on the body of Ropoama Peni Feni commenced at Picton yesterday, before the Coroner. The principal evidence was that of Nihana Pakira who deposed — On Saturday night Rawiri and Ropoama were having words ; Ido not know what they were wrangling about; I saw Bawiri strike at Ropoama; they then fought and I parted them ; they had no weapon of any kind in their hands. I went home at ten o'clock ; did not see any more quarrelling that night ; Bopoama was all right when I went home ; after I had been home some time I went outside, and, hearing a noise, I walked down and saw Ropoama lying on his back ; I picked him up in my arms ; he wa9 bleeding from the mouth 5 he did not take any notice of me ; when I picked him up his wife ran at me ; she tried to strike her husband, but I pushed her away ; Rawiri was close alongside ; I, took R'opoama to my house ; he never spoke after ; when we found he waa so bad next day, we washed him, and at two o'clock sent for a doctor. Mary Kopoama saw her husband after he was brought to my house ; she dressed him. Over six more witnesses are to be called* The whole affair owing to a reluctance on the part of the Natives to give any material testimony is one ;of exceeding difficulty, consseqnently there is a doubt whether the inquest will terminate to* day.