A SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 605, 24 September 1913, Page 5

A SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

ACCIDENTALLY SHOT. DEATH OF MRS RAWSTRON. A tragedy combining unusually painful features occurred at Epsom, Auckland, yesterday, the result being that Mrs Annie Rawßtron, aged 52 years, lost her life as the result of a misadventure with a revolver. The deceased only returned on Sunday last by the Maheno after a four weeks' holiday trip to New South Wales and Queensland, accompanied by her husband and a friend—a Mrs Carter. On Monday they unpacked some of their holiday things, but left the remainder until yesterday. After breakfast, it appearß, Mrs Rawsfcron called her husband indoors from some work he was doing about the grounds, telling him that he must not exert himself too strenuously so soon after their holiday, but that he must ccme and have some beef tea. After partaking of this, Mrs Rawstron went into the bedroom, remarking that they mußt put away a revolver which wa3 in one of their travelling bags. Removing a small Bavard revolver from the bags, she remarked, "Why, it's stiff.' Her husband replied, "Of course, it is; it's held by a clasp." With this he took hold of the amall weapon and moved the clasp, but most unfortunately this caused it to explode, and his wife dropped. The distracted husband rushed tb the house of a neighbour, Mrs Ratcliffe, but was tjo overcome to say anything morp than "My wife, my wife." Mrs Ratcliffe called her husband, who wbhi near by, and they went to investigate,. The unfortunate victim of the accident was lying in the bedroom with a bullet wound under the left eye„ and bleedir.g moßt profusely. Although lifo was not extinct, the injured woman was unable to respond to t'-o heartbreaking appeals of her husband. Dr Scott W»P telephoned for. and he arrived fwrrr Onehunga within about five minutes of the receipt of the message. By that time. however, the last sigrns of. life had L»one. The deceased leasee » married daughter residing in the Kins Country, and a son, aged 14. attending the Auckland Grammar School. Until'about eighteen months ago Mr Rawstron was farming at Pio Pio. when he sold out. and went to r«mde at Auckland. Mr Rawstron's association with Te Kuiti has been maintained since his departure lie .having paid frequriit visits ts> this rtislrict. and this extremely '-» ad occurrence will he deplored by a -wide eviele of friends.

hard wo-k In <HJs|f ',„ > ' get through, '"SSBjfe close thing." (, i||i§Pt? , ' made the last < &•% food, twenty-:'" w" -. I'ole. On Ih. * V "'."' '.' BoWers' sharp <} Irs.: '„ ■ seemed to bo a < JK|K'. epack, and '" black flag tied to r ' ' rledge trucks, nl< <s&iu traces of dogs' l i:i whole story. The arrived firnt. "It in pointment, and lam *MH|||fe,r my loyal companions; bwi^BfeLi,,, mined to carry out the march to the actual JYh , hasten home with all speed. (Yi i the Norwegians found an easier up than we did. On the seventeenth we made our camp at the Pole against a high head wind, and a temperature of 22. There was a curious damp feeling, which chilled us to the bono. Meanwhile the infatiguable Bowers was laying himself out to get Bights under difficult circumstance. On the eighteenth Bowers saw a little hut two miles from the Norwegian camp. In it he found records and names of the five Norwegians who were there on December 16th, 1913, also a note from Amundsen asking Scott to send a letter to King Haakon. The party then built a cairn pole and hoisted the Union Jack on tho 19th, and then started homeward*. The surface was bad, dripping Bnow clung to their ski impeding progress. Four days later they encountered a blizzard and repeatedly lost the track. Evans was badly frost-bitten and Oates suffering from a cold, and all Were getting pretty thin, though none were feeling worn out. On February 4th Scott and Evan? fell into a crevase. The latter had another fall when he must have struck his head and. received concussion. The descent down the glacier took eleven days, part of one day being devoted to geologising. They found veritable coal seams,

February 11th was the worst day of the trip. All went short of eupper, only one meal remaining in the bag. They prayed to God to have fine weather on the morrow. On February 30th after tea and one biscuit, wo pushed ahead, Wilstfn suddenly saw a depot fl««g at, eighty-four degrees. The next day waß spent in a shambles camp, where plenty of horse meat was available.

Evans was getting worso and could give little help. On the seventeenth he lagged behind. The othera stopped for lunch, and as Evans had disap pesred, four Bkied back. By the time a sledge picked Evans up he was unconscious. He died ten minutes after midnight—a swift ending to a gallant sailor.

A chapter of accidents had converted the strongest man and handiest artificer into a drßg on the party. He had done much to help Dr Wilson when suffering from snow blindness and cold feet. By March 15th Wilson and Oates were both suffering much from their feet, and with trouble they reached another depot. On March 9th Oaten had borne intense suffering, many weeks uncomplainingly. On the 10th wa were 55 miles fom One-ton Camp wilh seven days' food. I doubt whether we can do it. Oates wbs a brave soul. He slept through the night of the 15th. He walked out in a blizzard next morning, saying just as he wan going outside, "I may be sometime." and was never seen again. We knew he wbb going to his death. It wbb the act of a brave man and an English gentleman. On March 18th, Scott's foot was now badly frost-bitten, and amputnI titm was the lease he could hope for. On March 19th the party reached a point eleven milej from On3-ton Camp, where there was plenty of food. Scott and his companions had only two days' food and one day's fuel when a raging blizzad held them prisoners for two days. The last entry wbh on March 29th, stating the blizzard was still raging. In the quiet of their shelter Scott wrote without faltering or erasure his will.