TURUTURUMOKAI

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 14

TURUTURUMOKAI

HAWERA'S HISTORICAL SPOT. About a mile and a half out of Hawera, and enclosed within a farm owned by Messrs. Gillies and Nalder, lies' the field of Turuturumokai,. now in possession of the State, and consecrated to the memory of the brave-fellows who fought and diod there forty-two. years ago on Wednesday next. Little mounds may be seen lifire and there, and in one portion a hollow. It was in. this vicinity that Captain Ross and some thirty men were attacked on Sunday night, July 12, IS6B, hv Titokowaru and threo hundred Hauhaus, and almost decimated. The Turuturumokai fort was an old redoubt, which was reconstructed in a way by Captain Ross. Natives came into the place as traders, learned its weak and its strong points, and then reported progress to the wily chief, who made his arrangements accordingly. Titokowaru possibly- choso a Sunday evening for liis raid, as on such

kept the canteen. The mutilation which followed was too terrible even to bear repetition now.. Captain Boss raced out from his hut, and was in the act of crossing a plank, when ho was also shot dead. As he fell into the ditch, his body was dragged out, and lib was subjected to the same mutilation as that which befell Lemon.

Tiie little hollow near the mounds is pointed out to-day as the spot.where the captaiu fell. Amongst others who were killed at their posts were Beamisn, who was.riddled with bullets, Privates Holden and Shield, Corporal Blade, and Sergeant M'Fadden. Others were killed as they stumbled from their bunks. Five men ran away. Six men remained, and put up a desperate fight. They were C. Johnston, who still resides 111 Hawera, and near tho field; George Tuffin, at present residing at 61 Campbell Street, 'Wanganui; Hugh M'Leod, storekeeper, now 111 Melbourne; P. Gill, now of Taradale, Hawke's Bay; J. Beamish, Patea; and John Milmoe, who died in Hawera some years ago. John-