MAULED BY A LION

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1929, Page 8

MAULED BY A LION

HOW HE in' R ALTON DIED. TOLD BY HIS RKBCUKR. All those who heard the Havana .Jazz Hand in New Zealand in 11/2G and who met its popular condnvor. Air Bert Hal ton. received a. greet shock when a report came th-’ough that he had been Ici 1 led in Rhodesia whilst lion- hunting. The details of the affair never reached New Zealand in a ’concrete form, or. if They did, were never published, hut Mr F. M. Alellish, the Rhodesian, who came upon Air llalton after his enc muter with the lion, is at present in Wolii'igton. and yesterday gave full particulars to a “Dominion” reporter. It seems that Mr llalton had met a Air and Airs Johnston, when staying at Meikle’s Hotel. Salisbury, and they had invited him out to their ranch on the Hunyani ltiver. some eighteen miles out of town. 1 hither Air llalton repaired to get a glimpse of the real Rhodesia. On the se-oiul Friday in November, Air Alellish. accompanied by about lot) “bows’ on transfer, was treking along near the Hunyani drift, when their ears were startled with loud shrieks and cries for help. They at once dashed to the spot, to find a stranger (llalton), terribly mauled from the shoulder-el.ide down to the heart, So bad was his heart that it was seen that it was almost inveitablo that lie must bleed to death. In the meantime the lion had been shot by one of the boys. llalton. although lie must have known how seriously he was wounded, asked for a (-'garotte, and after a few puffs, ho took his ukulele and commenced singing “I’ll Always Re Loving You.” llalton was conveyed into town, and medical help was summoned as soon as possible, and an operation was peifovmed, but .blood poisoning intervened. and as the result he passed away. "When the man was discovered in the precarious situation related above, Mr Alellish made a point of lirsi get ting his name and who he was and Rnlton told him that the members of his hand were at Moikle's Hotel. Subsequently an inquest was held. the verdict being that death had been caused by blood-poisoning, due to deceased being mauled bv a lion's (laws. At the inquest, Mr Johnston idated the circumstances of meeting Mr llalton and inviting him to stay at the ranch. On that fatal afternoon llalton had wandered off with his “uke,” a saxophone, and a shot-gun. When the lion came upon him h? evidently attempted to shoot it with the shot-gun. but in the attempt a'c-idon-tally poured a charge of shot into his own left leg. So wounded, he was an easy mark for the lion, who would surely have finished him there and then, but for the rescue effected by Mr Alellish and his party.