IMPORTANT FROM WANGANUI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 333, 18 December 1865, Page 3

IMPORTANT FROM WANGANUI.

DIABOLICAL MURDERS BY HAU-HAU FANATICS. (From the 'Wanganui Times Extra.) It is our painful duty to record he perpetration of another unprovoked and cold-blooded murder, by the tribe who, a few months ago murdered Kereti. the bearer of the proclamation. The victim upon this occassion is a man named John Arbon, who served twelve years in H.M. 12th Regiment, was discharged, and, and had been employed as a drayman by Mr Simpson, during the last two years. Arbon’s duty was to cart supplies —especially beer and spirits—to the various military outposts. On Monday last he left Wanganui for N ukumaru with .Ins two-horse dray, and stopped at Alexander’s that night.' On Tuesday he proceeded to his destination, and on Wednesday started to return to Wanganui. He had then on his person upwards of £SO in cheques, and £7 in notes. When he had arrived about halfway between Nukumaru and Alexander’s ho was attacked by the Hau-haus and brutally murdered. A fearful struggle evidently took place, as clearly indicated by the spot upon which he fell, and from whence his body was dragged to the middle of the road, where it was discovered shortly afterwards by Mr Mitchell, of Nukumaru. The body was found quite naked, with a large tomahawk cut on the left Bidejtof the head, the throat cut across, the two thighs near the groin cut up, the cuts extending at each side up the inside of the hips, as if attempting to dismember the body. The chest was cut open about eighteen inches downwards, and then a gash ■which severed one side about the naval. This accomplished, they dragged their .victim’s heart and entrails. Our informant, who had seen the body, r says the heart was missing. Most likely both heart and kidneys were carried away and devoured. A large piece of flesh cut clean out of one arm showed that poor Arbon, who was unarmed, had fought hard for his life. Immediately on intelligence reaching Nukumaru twenty men of the Royal Irish were sent out and the mutilated remains [taken to the camp. The two horses and dray were taken off by the murderers; the dray was subsequently traced to the vicinity of a native village, but the party did not consider it prudent to follow up the track. The deceased was a native of Suffolk, and his mother is still there. Arbon’s little dog was found lying beside his murdered master. Immediately on the intelligence reaching Wanganui, Brigadier-General Waddy ordered out the Forest Rangers to assist the troops stationed at Nukumaru to pursue the murderers. Unfortunately Major Von' Tempsky and Major McDonnell were both at Rangitikei recruiting for the Native Contingent. In their absence Lieut.-Colonel Rookes volunteered his services, and we believe he accompanied the detachment, which is under the command of Lieutenant Pilmer. The Rangers went out out yesterday evening, cheering as they marched along, with “ three cheers more for General Waddy.” No doubt Von Tempsky and McDonnell, as soon as they hear of it, will ride post haste, after them. Let us wish them “ God speed,” and hope that the murderers, upon this occasion, will meet with condign punishment.

The Southern Cross, of Jhe 11th publishes the following extracts from a private letter on the subject: — Wanganui, December 8, Knowing that you like to know what is going on in this place, I send you the particulars of a a most horrible murder that took place on the 6th inst. John Arbon, a carter in the employ of John Stone (who has a canteen at Nukumaru), took out a load of goods to Nukumaru. and was returning to town with his empty dray and two horses. He had got about half-way to Alexander’s Farm, when he was most brutally murdered by Maoris, and bis body was found in the road by the mounted orderlies, his dog sitting alongside his remains. His heart, entrails, tongue, and eyes were taken out, and his person mutilated otherwise in a manner which cannot be mentioned. Ho had one bullet wound, and also tomahawk wounds on the head. A party of troopers were sent out, and tracked the dray to a Maori village, somewhere behind Nukumaru. Yesterday a party of Bushrangers went out, and I believe an expedition is to go either to-day or to-morrow, and I trust they may come across the ruffians. Major McDonnell is at Rangltikei, raising more men.

(From the Wanganui Chronicle, December 9.) On Saturday evening last an escort of the Military Train left Waingororo for Manawanou, to bring up some yeast. They were accompanied bj the clerk in charge of the Commissariat at Wai-. ngongoro, and one of the C. T. Corps named Harvey. On their return, when about two or three miles from Manawapon, and riding along the beach, under a high cliff, considerably apart from each other, they were fixed on by a party of about twelve Maories. Harvey was wounded, as well as his horse, another one belonging to one of the Military Train. Harvey’s companions rode on as fast as they were able ; and on their arrival at Waingongoro gave a very confused account ofthe affair. A party of about fifty men paraded about twelve o’clock the same night, and marched to the spot, where they found the body with a wound through the thing and badly tomahawked, and the back of the bead being horribly smashed. The party returned next morning, after a march of twenty-six’ miles with scarcely a halt. The sergeant in charge of the escort and one of the troopers are under arrest, and are, it is said, to be tried by a district court-martial. The following additional particular have been received since the above was in type. The man whose horse was wounded was a great way before the others, and he rushed on, and was afterwards picked up Mr Fitzpatrick, the Commissariat clerk, who followed at some distance after the man (Harvey) who was killed. Harvey was unarmed, and was fired on from the cliff, where the ambush was laid. Being disabled by ihe shot, the Maoris descended and tomahawked him; his left ear B and

left side being fearfully mutilated, and his left thumb all but cut off. The other men came into camp about an hour after Mr Fitzpatrick. They had seen the dead man and horses, but had seen no Maoris. Lieut.-Colonel Butler, Capt. Hasted, Ensign Holmes, with sixty-four non-commissioned officers and rank and file composed the party that brought the body to Waingongoro, where it was interred on Monday morning.