SERIOUS AFFRAY AT HIKUTAIA.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 19, 13 June 1872, Page 2

SERIOUS AFFRAY AT HIKUTAIA.

A MAORI SHOT BY A SETTLER. Mr. Laciila.y Allan McCaskill was thismorning brought before the Resident Magistrates' Court, Shortland, on a charge of shooting with intent to murder one Hone Pahu, a Maori, at Hikutaia, on Saturday last. The case was not gone into, a remand having been asked for by the police and granted, for seven days, the injured man not being in a fit state to attend at Court. The information, of the affair was given to the police on Saturday night at a late hour by some natives, from which it appears that Mr. Laehlan Allan McCaskill (who has been a settler in the Thames district for about thirty years) discharged a double-barrelled gun at a native named Hone Fahu, one barrel being loaded with powder and ball, and the other with powder and shot. The circumstances attending the affray may be briefly summarised, as follows, from the statement of the native who gave information to the police : —The natives from the settlement heard dogs barking and pigs squealing as if being attacked, and they immediately went down towards Mr. McCaskill's farm, where they met his nephew, Mr. Allan McCaskill. They asked him about the pigs being attacked by thed'ogs,. and he said they were all right. Whilst they were talking Hone Pahu came up, and Mr. McCaskill was. also seen coming down with a double-barrelled gun, and his dbg with him tied with flax. As he approached them Hone Pahu asked him to deliver up the dog he had with him.. McCaskill refused, and.said if they did not goback he would shoot. Hone again, asked for the dog, when McCaskill presented the gunand fired one barrel. The bullet took effect on the right breast. Hone then made a rush towards Mr.' McCaskiH, and when within, about six feet of him, be discharged the other barrel loaded with shot. It struck his left arm, tearing away the flesh and hitting him on his left jaw, smashing it into splinters. Hone then caught Mr. McCaskill by the hair and threw him down, and held him in that position until one of the other natives cameup, and Hone asked him t© take charge of the gun. The accused, Mr, McCaskill, came down to Shortland for the purpose of giving himself up .to the police after consulting a. solicitor. It is stated that daring a lfcng residence in the Thames District he has been subjected to very great annoyances from the natives, and that he has sustained several losses. The Maori, Pahu, we are glad to say, is progressing as well as can be expected. He was sitting up in bed this moring, his. wife being in attendance. He has sustained no serious injury beyond the fracture of his jaw, the wounds in the arm and the breast being merely flesb wounds.- —"-Star.*

The Stamp Act to be Tested.—Mr. R. W. Fereday, solicitor, of Christchurch, in order to test whether a receipt given for a cheque is liable to doty under the Stamp Act, has given an unstamped receipt in a case of the kind to a person with the request that he would report It to the Government. This was done, and, according to the " Lyttel ton Times," the Attorney-General's opinion having been obtained, Messrs. pancan and Jameson have been instructed to commence an action against Mr. Fereday for a breach of the Act. Mr. Fereday is very confident of being .able to show that the Act does not render it compulsory to stamp receipts'for .cheques.-r-" Independent." ' ' . '