The Mahia Murder.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 348, 7 September 1889, Page 2

The Mahia Murder.

When Makaore was asked if he had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon him, he replied I have been committed of this orime, but I am not guilty. Th° whole thing has been a conspiracy against me, as there never was any ill-feeling between Bob Gollan and myself. Up to the time of his death I never had any ill feeling towards him, nor had he towards me. Ana with regard to the evidence that has been given In this o»«e, none of the witnesses were corroborated. Nnt a single one of them were corroborated. One hud given a different version to what the other had given. The evidence that has been given by Reihana that I told him I was going to kill pigs is not true. He knew the o'jent of my journey. What person would set out to commit a murder and not teH his friend what he was going to do ? Nothing was said about the place where we were going tn kill these plgfi. No person could go and ki’l pigs at night time. I went straight to the place I set out for to fetch my child. As I was so much gdoved about my child I never thought of going and doing anything else, except to fetch my child from Pungaroa ‘to Kahfka, The child died. As the jury have found me guilty I cannot do anything except to say that, upon my soul and body, I never hsa any idea of having done the deed I am accused of. I say it to all of ynu. linever committed the crime. That is all I have to say. A deathlike silence ensued in court, and after the prisoner had finished speaking, the judge put on tho b’ack cap and spoke as follows :—Prisoner, I don’t think it necessary to say anything in passing the sentence of the Court upon you, I observe from whs* you were saying that though you charged th wife necses with making false statements in their evidence, you seem unable to suggest any reason why they have conspired against you. Assuming that the jury are right—and I believe they are right—in trusting to the Maor) evidence that has been given, this is another instance in which the Maori people have not hesitated to come forward and tell the treth, though the result is to condemn one of their own race for an offence committed against tha laws of one of the European race. The sentence of the Court is that you be taken to tha place of exscution at Napier and there hanged by the neck until you are dead.—Remove tha prisoner. After the sentence had bean passed the Chief Justice said he wished Rigby, the half* caste, to be brought in as he had something to say to him. When he appeared His Honor ’ informed him that he did not see any reason for doubting the evidence he gave in contradicting that of Constable Shaw re what took place at the time of the arrest of Makaore, The proceedings then terminated.