The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1869.

DECESIVE VICTORY IN NEW ZEALAND.

Oft the sth of January the New Zealand troops, under
Colonel Whitmore, captured the Te Kooti's stronghold at
Poverty Bay, with a loss to the enemy of 136 killed. This
defeat is considered decisive to the war on the east coast.
Te Kooti, the nibst formidable of the Maori leaders, has
been rendered virtually harmless. The story of this en-
counter is as follows:—Te Kooti, after one or two repulses,
retreated to the Ngatipa fortress, where he was surrounded
on the 26th of December, by the troops under Colonel
Whitmore, comprising 300 men of the Ngatiporos, sixty
of the Arawat, and gOO of the white constabulary.
The pa was a very strove. one, and was defended by 200
men, who had with theniianumber of women and children;
but the enemy had not previsions enough to stand a siege,
and they made two unsuccessful attempts to break through
the besieging force. Colonel Whitmore made preparations
to carry the place by assault, and on the sth January
the outer works fell into his hands. The advance
was pushed on by rifle-pits and sap under coved of
the darkness, and snch preparations were made by
daylight that the storm could not have been resisted.
" Under these circumstances," writes Colonel Whitmore,
in his despatch to the Defence Minister, "'Te Kooti shot
the most influential of his priscpers, and escaped down
the cliff, which was very high and steep. The women were
first lowered, then followed the men, Te Kooti himself,
wounded in the shoulder, and still lame of his wound at
Ruaketure, apparently having been one of the last. This
was effected from one to three a.m., during which time
Major Fraser, who was the nearest of the force, fired
heavily, and with some effect, on the place whence
the sound came. The last native had barely escaped when
our people entered, and however formidable the work
looked outside, it was still stronger to look at from close
by. The Ngatiporo and Arawa division, who have
behaved splendidly throughout, started at once in pur-
suit. Te Kooti's followers spread out into the bush in
small parties. The pursuit was carried out in the same
way throughout the day till after dark. The friendlies
then returned with prisoners and plunder. The rebels
had engaged the Arawa contingent, and killed Ritngiho,
a chief of note. Previously to that Nikora had been killed,
and his wife brought in. In all, more than 120 of
the enemy have been killed. These numbers are accurate,
the bodies having been exhumed from the enemy's ditches,
or found lying in or about the pa, stripped of their clothes
and arms by those who overtook and shot them. I think
very few women, and those only by accident, have been
killed, and no children. The cohorns appear to have
frightened the garrison very much, and killed some.
The number inside must have exceeded our estimate, for
the escort carrying Te Kooti must be some forty men, and
only eighteen out of the Uriweras were killed. lam
despatching fresh parties in pursuit, and still hope
to catch Te Kooti. Every man of note in his
hand is killed except himself, and he cannot be far
off. I blew down a large portion of one of the walls, and
fired a royal salute in honour of the capture." The loss
of the attacking force was only eleven killed and nine
wounded. The friendly natives are in pursuit of Te
Kooti and his band, with the avowed determination of
exterminating them all, in revenge for the massacre of
their friends and relatives at Poverty Bay. It is now
apparent that the band of men under Te Kooti, by whom
so much mischief and apprehension were caused, did not
number more than 250, though this was magnified at one
time into a force of 700 men.

Affairs on the west coast had been quiet, but Colonel
Lyon was preparing to take the offensive with 400 men.

LAW AND POLICE.

THE INCOME TAX REPEAL ASSOCIATION.--At the York
Assizes, before Mr. Justice Hayes, John Whorlow and
Walter Gringer were indicted for obtaining money by
false pretences. The prisoners professed to hold the post
of secretary and collector to the famous " National Income
Tax Repeal Association." Two other persons connected
with the scheme were tried at the last Warwick Assizes
and acquitted. Whorlow and Gringer were less fortunate,
being found guilty, though with a recommendation to
mercy. Sentence was deferred.

A FORGER.—At the Mansion House, on Saturday, a
well-dressed man was charged with forgeries to the
amount of £470. He obtained a cheque-book from Messrs.
Barnett, Hoare, and Co.'s bank, in Lombard-sereet, by
means of a forged order, purporting to be from Messrs.
Neumann, Sons, and Co., merchants, whose pass-book he
also procured. He afterwards presented a cheque for
£397 10s., and, on being arrested, was found to have on
him other orders for cheque-books, addressed to different
banks. He refused to give his real name, as he said it
would disgrace his family. He was remanded.
A MELANCHOLY DOWNFALL.—At the Southwark Police-
court a careworn-looking man, named Gilbert Pell, was
enarsva46~wl,-eclock. It thixt he was
the original " Bents " attached to the first company of
Christy's Minstrels, and was formerly a prominent
member of the company, having had a gold watch presented
to him by her Majesty. The prosecutor said he wished to
withdraw the charge, as he understood the prisoner was
of weak intellect. his friends having promised to take
care of him he was discharged.
THE RIGHTS OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.—At the Liver-
pool County Court a case of considerable importance has
been heard respecting the rights of friendly societies. In
1864 John Jones was the treasurer of the Miners-a Lodge of
the Oddfellows' Society in Liverpool, and resigned the office
in December, having then in his possession more than £73
belonging to the society. In the month following he made
a deed of assignment for his creditors without having paid
over the money belonging to the society. Jones has since
died, and the trustees of the society claim payment in
full. After hearing the case, Mr. Blair decided that they
were entitled to full payment before any division of the
property.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

-o---

THR WATERFORD-VIVIAN ELOPEMENT.

It is said that the Marquis of Waterford, who is
still in his green and salad years, had a peculiar
faculty for falling in love, and forthwith demanding to
lead to the hymeneal altar the object of his affections,
all the more readily if she chanced to be a notorious
courtesan. From two or three misalliances of this
sort he has been prevented only by something very
like force. It is rumoured that he and his frail com-
panion have started for Spain.

parent and younger suits was one earl, the Earl or
Leicester (Mr. Coke, of Norfolk), one viscount, one
viscountess, one baronet, and one clergyman ; and
the matter was settled out of court after all ! Who,
after this, will prate about English justice F