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Three New Zealanders placed at the bar
on a charge of suspected murder.

August 24, 1837.

POLICE.

Thursday, August 24.

      Teepati alias Tommy, Tiapoo or Jackey, and Titerro, three New Zealanders, were placed at the bar on a charge of suspected murder.

      Captain Lee, of the Achilles, stated, that he picked up on the 1st of May, about one o'clock, a whale boat, containing three New Zealanders wounded; there was no food or water in the boat,which seemed of American build, but the name on the stern sheets was not legible; the boat contained three harpoons, two spades, two water kegs, one potatoe keg, two axes, two sails and a paddle. The account the men gave to witness was, that they had been seventeen days at sea, and belonged to the Ploughboy, of Nantucket, Captain Brown, and that having been fired at on board, they had left the ship. Witness received Tiapoo and Teepati onboard the Achilles, and sent the other prisoner on board the Earl Stanhope. When asked where the Ploughboy was last from; they said the Bay of Islands, and the cause of their being fired at was the mismanagement of a boat by one of them (Titerro), while pulling after a whale; they described the event as taking place on their arrival on board. After they were fired at they escaped into one of the boats, and pulled off; the boat,when it left the ship, contained a keg of water and a keg of potatoes.

      Colonel Wilson directed the interpreter, Mr. Charles Fulloon, to explain the foregoing evidence to them, and to acquaint them that they were charged with having risen upon the crew in the night, and murdered several of them, but being overpowered they made their escape into the boat; and then to ask them if they had any statement to make.

      Tiapoo, through the interpreter, said, that Captain Lee's statement was correct, and then stated Titerroo was the only New Zealander who went after the whale, and while the headsman was preparing to strike, he "caught a crab," which caused the harpoon to miss, and the fish escaped, on which the men beat him with the whale line till the boat returned to the vessel. After their return to the vessel, himself and Titerroo were employed aloft, when the captain came out of his cabin and fired at them, he (Tiapoo) fell from the rigging into the boat, and Titerroo fell into the water; Teepati escaped down the ship's side into the boat; while in the boat they were again fired at and wounded — he added they were the only New Zealanders on board; the rest of the crew amounted to about twenty; he denied any knowledge of the circumstance they were charged with, and said that no white men were dead.

      Titerroo made no statement concerning the above facts, but gave an account of previous ill usage on board the Ploughboy — he said that when the ship had left the Bay about a fortnight, he (Titerroo) was pulling a rope, which the Captain told him to make fast, but he, not understanding English, continued to pull the rope, on which the Captain ran at him with a knife, and stabbed him in the back. (He here exhibited the spot, but we could see no scar.) He added that he, had been informed by a New Zealander at present on board the Clarkstone, that Captain Brown, about two years before, had shot a white man while at the mast head.

      Teepati made no statement. The prisoners were then remanded till Monday.


The Sydney Monitor (August 25, 1837), p.2.     

Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Jun 11, 2023

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