DEATH OF A CHILD.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18169, 6 November 1930, Page 8

DEATH OF A CHILD.

INQUEST ON MAORI GIRL. A CHARGE OF MURDER. WOMAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) HAWERA, Wednesday. An inquest on a Maori baby girl, Honi Hi Hi, who died at the Ketemairc Pa, near Normanby, on October 25, attracted unusual interest, consequent upon a charge of murder on which the child’s Maori foster-mother, Margaret Kerehona, had been previously re- i manded. The Courthouse was crowded, principally by Maoris. Detective Meiklejohn represented the police, and the proceedings were watched on behalf of the fostermother by Mr L. A. Taylor. Honi lli Hi, father of the child, gave evidence that the child was 16 months old at the time of death. It had been adopted a year ago, during the illness of the mother, by Margaret Kerehona, who lived at Keremaire Pa, about 20 miles from witness’ home at\Otakeho. Witness never heard piror to the death of the child of any ili-treatment. Dr. R. G. B; Sinclair' and Constable Pigeon gave evidence that when they saw the body at the pa, about 10.60 oh the night 1 of October 26, Kerehona said she had struck it with her fist because ■' it' would not stop crying. When she found it would not wake up she tried unsuccessfully to revive it with water. Dr. Sinclair, who made a postmortem examination, gave his opinion that death was due to compression of the brain, due to bleeding in the head. The bleeding may have been caused by a blow. There were no signs of external violence or injury except a slight.. scratching on the left ear. No verdict was returned at the conclusion of the evidence to-day at the inquest concerning the death of Ngawai Hi' Hi, a Maori girl/ aged 16 months, at Ketemarae Pa, oh October 25. The Coroner, Mr R. S. Sage, said the verdict would be postponed until after the criminal proceedings arising from the same circumstances. After the inquest the baby’s foster mother, Margaret Kerehona, a Maori woman, aged 30, was charged with having murdered the child. Accused pleaded not guilty. , Constable Pidgeon said: “Accused was crying when I approached. • She said, ‘No kai. The child crying. I get angry.’ Then she showed me how she had hit the child with her clenched fist. She then said, ‘No wake. I put water on.’ •" After a repetition of other evidence presented at the inquest, Kerehona was committed for trial.