THE MASSACRE AT WHITE CLIFFS.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 488, 2 March 1869, Page 3

THE MASSACRE AT WHITE CLIFFS.

LATEST PARTICULARS After the bodies of the victims were brought in by the Volunteers and Militia, an inquest wa3 held, when Dr O'Carroli gave the following evidence as reported by the Taranaki Herald :— " I have examined the bodies which the jury have this morning viewed. The tomahawk wounds on John Milne were, one smashing through the bridge of the nose, and also the cheek bones, another putting through the integuments of the mouth and crushing in the teeth, one in the forehead above the left eye, and another one in the back of the head. The brains protruded from the wound in the back of the head which must have caused instant death. Richards had been tomahawked in the face and the back of the head where there were four wonnds which must have caused instantaneous death. There were marks of bruises about the face of Bamber Gascoigne, also four deep tomahawk wounds in the back of the head which produced death. The left side of the face was very much bruised as though it had been beaten with a clenched fist. The skin was off the knees shewing that the body had been dragged along the ground. On the body of Laura Gascoigne there is the mark of something having been drawn very tightly round the body. Inhere were two tomahawk wounds on the back of the head apparently .inflicted with , a short handled 'tomahawk, when the child was in a horizontal position. These would produce death. On the body of Cecil John Gascoigne there were three wounds on the back of the head caused by a tomahawk and sufficient to cause death. The child Louisa Annie Gascoigne had a severe tomahawk wound on the back of the head nearly severing the upper part, causing immediate death. The gunshot wounds on Mr Whiteley's body appear to have been all inflicted by rifle bullets such as are used by the Militia. On Tuesday last the 16th February, 1869, I accompanied an expedition to search for and recover the bodies of the Rev. Mr .Whiteley and others. On the following day I accompanied Major Stapp and others to Pukearuhe Redoubt. Near the redoubt I saw a dead horse with the branch of a bush beside it. 1 discovered Mr Whiteley's body under the branch. His coat and waistcoat were both off. There waa no bridle or saddle on the horse. Mr Whiteley's braces and trowBers were unfastened. On going towards the redoubt I diverged to the right near a whare and saw the bodies of two cats and a dog which had been tomahawked. I then went into the redoubt but found no bodies there. I then went down a new road towards the beach and found the body of Richards, which appeared to have been struck down when in the act of running towards the beach. All his clothes were on him with the exception of his cap which was lying near. ; About eighteen yards nearer the beach I found the body of John Milne. He was dressed completely excepting his cap which was lying near him with a cut in it. Underneath the body of Milne I found a part of the handle of a tomahawk which I gave to Sergeant Edward Humphries. ( I then went to- the beach, and there saw several naked footmarks in the sand between the stories. They appeared to be going in a north-east direction. There were a great many footmarks. I can't say whether they are fresh, marks or not. On my return I found that the family of the Gaßcoignes were being disinterred. Bamber Gascoigne was underneath then his wife and on them were the children. They were on the floor of the whare and the earth thrown over them. Gascoigne had his clothes on. Mrs Gascoigne and the children had their night clothes on. Mrs Gascoigne had her petticoat on over her night gown. — By the jury : I believe the Gascoignes were all killed at onetime. I think Mr Whiteley was snot an hour or more after them. His body is not so much decomposed as those of 'the other persons. In one of the houses near the redoubt there were several hams and some bacon, also salt and potatoes. I also saw a book in the same house lying on the floor, as if it had been thrown down. There were stools on each side of the fire place, The house was Milne's cook-house. . I noticed that a napkin was wrapped round the youngest Gascoigne's body. ' The wedding-ring finger of Mrs Gascoigne was cnt off. There was no ring on her hands. There were no marks of any straggle having taken place. The inquest was then adjourned till Monday next, to enable further evidence to be procured. Michael Murphy, (late of the 57th Regiment) Was brought before the Resident Magistrate on the information of T. Kelly Esq., and charged with having been concerned in the late murders of the Rev, John Whiteley and others.

Owing to -the absence of a most material witness, the prisoner was remanded. Murphy, a half-witted fellow, who has l"ng been loafing among the natives south of Taranaki. He lately moved into the town, and the day before j the murders are supposed to have been ' committed, crossed over the Waitara ferry towards the White Cliffs,. telling the boatman something serious waa going to happen. Just before the news of the nnmler was known he returned, and recronsing the river told the boatman what he had before spoken of had happened just as ho had said. The coincidence excited suspioion, and he was apprehended more with a view of qiiieting doubts than with any belief in his actual complicity.