AUKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2050, 19 April 1864, Page 5

AUKLAND.

Sit6kdttfMeßt6tiie s 7i;k ltist.^W'J Bll&ii a few further items of:§j|rs 5— ' TteE DROOJtGOOED MORDEE CASE. The' New Zealand Herald of the 31st ult., pays :—" Yesterday's proceedings, we arc happy to say, "closed the March Session of the Supreme Court. The only case tried, but which occupied the attention of the Court until 7 p.m., was that of Tangata Ware Iwitia, the murderer of Droomgoold. The prisoner was found guilty, a verdict in which the Judge entirely coincided. Sentence of death was pronouced upon him. On receiving his sentence he turned to the Judge and exclaimed in- Maori, " Meremere and Rangiriri are the cause of this ! lam guiltless." Also when the words of the pudge, " may the Lord have morcy on your guilty soul," were translated to him, he interrupted the interpreter by exclaiming— "No! my guiltless soul." The prisoner evidently pretended to think., that his death was taken as utu by us for our loss at Rangiriri. That such was not the intention of| the Pakeha he might have known from the j fact that his late fellow prisoners on board | hulk are merely kept in a light comfortablel easy state of confinement, far more < comfortably, perhaps than many pakehas in Auck- ( land. In personal appearance the prisoner is a fair type of the " fine old cannibal" of the early days of New Zealand ; his countenance is of a low bestial type ; his manner was that of a cowed and sullen hound. Another noticeable feature in this trial was the fact that two of the native witnesses were unbelieving heathens. One, however, we should say, believed in a Supreme Being but not in a future state of rewards and punishments. We. would earnestly recommend those facts to the notice of the Aborigines' Protection Society, and similar institutions at home, and to those who condemn the Press as blasphemous when it questions the assertion that Missionary teachings have repaid their cost. Before the dismissal of the Court, his Honor dwelt very forcibly on the disgusting den in which the Court has hitherto been beld, ascribing the illness of Sir G. A. Arney in part to this cause. THE CONDEMNED MAORIES. The three Maoris who were sentenced to death at the recent sessions of the Supreme Court, are at the present time awaiting the execution of their sentence in the Stockade at Mount Eden, where they were removed shortly after their trial. As far as we can learn, the behaviour of none of them is materially different from that which they exhibited whilst in the Auckland Gaol. Ruarangi and Tangataware Iwitaia are Wesleyans, and have been visited" by the Reyds. Messrs. Buddie, Baker, and Gittos ; Nikotema Okeroa is a Roman Catholic, and has been visited by Dr. M'Donald, as well as by those gentlemen. The behaviour of Okeroa, who it will be remembered was convicted of the unprovoked murder of the chief Waiti, at the Bay of Islands, is still, wo are informed, not that of a sane man. He is very quiet, and spends most of his time in reading and smoking, but gives no intelligent answer to the questions which visitors put to him. When asked if he was not afraid to die, his only answer was " Moni," and similar replies were given to other questions. He recognises his turnkey with a smile, calling him "Jack," but holds no conversation with him. He does not admit the crime with which he is charged. Tangataware, the Waikato man, and Ruarangi, the murderer of the Thompsons, appear to be quite resigned to their. fate, especially the latter, and both stoutly assert their innocence. Most of their time is spent in devotional exercises and reading ; but Tangataware is very chatty, and delights to tell of the part he has taken in Maori wars, and in the present war with the pakeha, of which he states he has been in nearly every engagement, inclusive of Ranigriyi and Meremere, and declares that he never left those places while the fighting was going oiTthere; and could not have been at Mauku or Onepoto at the time alleged. He further says that several on board the hulk could have proved this. Te Ori Ori and others were taken to the Court House at the time of the trial ; but it. seemed that the prisoner's counsel (Mr Lee) thought it advisable not to call them. Tangataware, as our readers will remember, was made prisoners with them at Rangiriri, and arrested on board the hulk. He continually protests his innocence,, but views the prospect of death calmly, except that he dislikes the idea of being hung, and expresses a very natural preference for being shot. Ruarangi is uniformly cheerful, and the behaviour of all is stated to be good. It is not yet known when the execution of any of them will take place, and it is not our place to anticipate their fate. Yesterday a native meeting was held relative to Hare, who is accused by the natives of being the real murderer of the Thomsons, a charge to which it is said there are one or two circumstances that give a slight coloring ; — as for instance, Ms resemblance to the prisoner, the possession of a large bag of sugar, a remark which his father was overheard to make, and his absence from the runanga where Ruarangi was apprehended, though he had been previously informed of the charge and had ample opportunity of escape, of which, as he now states, ho refused to avail himself, lest he should lead -his friends to suppose him guilty. We suppose, however, that if the Executive consider it necessary, the matter will be thoroughly cleared up one way or another, before the prisoner's sentence is carried into effect. We were wrong in stating yesterday that an official inquiry was . being made into the circumstances of the charge against Hare, as the investigation is at present being made by the natives themselves, and it is one which the Government have taken no part in. A crowd of natives might have been seen about the Native Office yesterday, many of them, we understand, influential chiefs from the north, and it is by these natives, we understand, that the enquiry is being made. During the day a deputation waited on the Governor, of the result of which we have not been informed. —Southern Cross, 12th April.