The Took Murder Case.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 281, 2 April 1889, Page 3

The Took Murder Case.

A WELLINGTON OPINION. Wellington, Saturday.

The Post of last night says It is highly satisfactory to find that the murderer of the Pook family at Waipiro has been brought to justice. At first there seemed very little irospeot of this. The crime was committed n a remote district, and ample time had been allowed the perpetrator to make good his escape. The trail was, however, well followed up, and a chain of circumstances, each link small in itself, has wound the murderer in coils which it has proved impossible for him to break. The whole case is wn fact, a very strong one, and the evidence ill satisfy every sensible man, as it has satised a Gisborne jury and Mr Justice Richmond, that the wretched Maori who was yesterday sentenced to death is the real murderer of Mr and Mrs Pook and their child. The trinle murder was committed, apparently tartly from a sordid motive, to cover a rob>ery, and partly for mere lust of blood. The poor little boy could scarcely have interfered to prevent the robbery, and he must have been killed from pure wantonness. The police deserve great credit for the way in which they got together the evidence which brought the crime home to its author, but it would be wrong to pass over iu silence the admirable assistance given by the natives of the district. Without their hearty cooperation it would have been impossible to have obtained a conviction. It will be remembered that the principal chief of the district was in Wellington when the crime was committed, that his suspicion at once fell on the man now proved guilty, and that he immediately returned to the district, promising to give the authorities every assistance in finding the murderer. This pledge he and his people have nobly fulfilled, the murderer’s own immediate relatives even showing their detestation of the crime, and their respect for the law, by giving evidence of the most damning character where an attempt to shield him might have been excusable, A few years ago in this district, Haira te Piri would probably have passed amongst the natives as a kind of hero, instead of their assisting to hunt him down and hand him over to the doom of the law, for the crime he committed. The change which has taken place is a most remarkable one, and extremely satisfactory. We trust the Government will take care to suitably express their opinion of the excellent manner in which the natives have acted in this matter. Their conduct, indeed, demands substantial recognition. No European community could have behaved better,