MAORI TRAGEDY.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16749, 16 March 1926, Page 5

MAORI TRAGEDY.

ASTONISHING REVELATION WIFE DELIBERATELY MURDERED. RAWIRI'S DYING CONFESSION. JEALOUSY THE ONLY MOTIVE. While dying In the Waikato Hospital, Peter Rawlrl made a statement to tho police completely clearing up tho mystery of the tragic explosion which occurred at Te Rapa on Tuesday. He admitted that, prompted by Jealousy ho had deliberately blown up his wife and then cut his own throat. Although it was at first anticipated that the tragic happening at Tc Rapa on Tuesday aflernoon when a Maori woman, N capeti Koti Rawiri, was found outside her hut shattered beyond recognition, with her husband frightfully injured lying alongside her, would forever remain a mystery owing to tho uncertainty, surrounding tho whole episode, a dying confession mads by the male deceased in the "Waikato Hospital now makes it clear (hat he. deliberately murdered his wife by blowing her up with a charge of gelignite, then cutting his own throat. When the inquest on the dead woman was resumed at the Courthouse this morning before the District Coroner. Mr W'yvcrn Wilson, S.M., Constable Aplin gave evidence that he was on duly al the hospital on March 11 at p.m. watching Rawiri. Suddenly deceased called him over and asked him how his child was getting on. Witness replied “ All right,” and asked deceased what had happened to his wife. “ A Very Bad Woman.” Rawiri replied: "Oh, she was a very had woman —she been living with another man.” Deceased gave the name of Fani Dan.iar. Witness then asked how the. explosion occurred, deceased replying that lie had placed two slicks of gelignite outside the wharc, using some fuse. "You blow her up?” witness had then asked. " Yes,” replied Rawiri, who was quite rational at the time. • Tlie coroner then returned a verdicl lliat the woman died as the result of injuries wilfully inflicted by her husband with 111 c intent of causing her death, by means of an explosion of gelignite while in a fit of jealousy. Inquest on the Husband. The inquest on Peter Rawiri was then opined. After Hie police had given formal evidence, Dr. Mc.Miken, of the medical sLUT of the Waikato Hospital, deposed to Rawiri being admitted to the hospiia! oil Tuesday evening, suffering from hemorrhage and shock. He had a deep gash in Hie neck severing the windpipe, and a deep gasli in the abdomen, while his left hand was blown off at the wrist. Deceased died at 4.Mu p.m. on Saturday from toxaemia and septic pneumonia, followed by heart failure.

UI her evidence of the same nature as Unit given at the previous inquest was also adduced.

The verdict was that Rawiri comlmlicil suicide by cutting his throat with a razor, and by injuring himself in an explosion of gelignite.