A HARROWING RECITAL

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 90, 29 May 1877, Page 3

A HARROWING RECITAL

The Auckland correspondent of the Dunedin Star sends that journal the following:—

A most harrowing recital was told to the police this morning by a young lad who arrived from Lucas Creek in the steamer To Aroha. It contains particulars of the wretched death of an inveterate drunkard named Wm. Jas. Peacock, who, with the lad above mentioned, lived in a miserable wharf on the Riverhead sine of Paromoremore Creek. Both Peacock and the lad have been maintaining , themselves by gumdiggmg, and have lived together for about six nionths. Peacock has been in the Colony sixteen years, was formerly in the Commissariat Militia, and has had four narrow escapes from drowning, caused by intoxication. On two or three occasions he was burnt out of the whart. The boy Nesbitt relates that yesterday Peacock, after been away all day, came back partly drunk, brought a bottle of rum, which he emptied, lay down and lit his pipe, throw-

ing tire match" down;-Shortly" after the boy saw snioke arid "flames coming from the head of peacock's bed, and he roared out to him "toget - out," and went over and shook him ; but he was so dead drunk that he.only gave a groan and did not stir. -The flames were getting fiercer, and the boy tried to. drag him out. Just as only his legs were on the bed a powderflask, which was kept under his pillow, exploded and filled the place with smoke. The boy fell backwards, and Peacock came on to his legs. Nesbitt got him'up with some difficulty, and again tried' to drag him out; but it was more than he could do ■to move him more thaii. sari-inch or two at a time. He dragged him by the hair, and some of it came out in his hand. When, he got him to the doorway the whole place was in a blaze, and there was another explosion., from Peacock's gun, which was hanging "on the wall oaded. Nesbitt, knowing that if he stopped any longer he would be burnt, ran out, and got ah axe ; , and cut a hole on the side of the wharf, but the flames burst out and burnt a hole in his shirt before he could get clear. ■- Then a dirty black smoke arose, and Lucas could smell that Peacock was roasting. When discovered, after the -fire was out, Peacock's legs and arms were burnt off.