THE MURDER OF MR VOLKNER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 49, 30 December 1871, Page 12

THE MURDER OF MR VOLKNER.

The following letter appears in the " Nelson Colonist" of the 22nd inst. : Si rj —lt was with much surprise that I perused an article in the " Examiner," of December 9, headed " The Murder of the Rev. Mr Volkner," and which I find to be so especially laudatory of the bravery of one particular individual, and so pathetic about the recompense that is due for losses to the same person, that one is led to make a shrewd guess at the source from whence all this praise and pity emanates, and look upon the whole narrative as a piece of special pleading made by an interested individual himself through the medium of an unaware newspaper. I am not surprised to see " Communicated" tacked to the bottom of the article, but I must hold the " Examiner" responsible for it; and now beg to offer such remarks as, having been one of the chief actors, I think I am entitled to make upon the occurrences referred to in that paper. I was mate of the Eclipse schooner when the Opotiki tragedy took place, and had to go through the work and danger of the time as much as Captain Levy. I have not pestered the country for recompense for imaginary losses since that time, and therefore my share in the troubles may not be so well remembered ; but when a public journal gives a one-sided view of a case, and specially advocates the cause of one person where more than one were equally sufferers and losers, it is time to see that fairplay is dealt nut to all who were concerned in the sad events referred to, and I beg to give my version of occurrences at Opotiki, and which will be found to differ materially with the account published in the " Examiner." In the first place, the " large store " spoken of was a small whare rented from a native, and kept by Samuel Levy, a brother to Captain Levy ; next, the -'three or four coasting craft possessed by Captain Levy " was one, the Eclipse, which he sailed himself, and of which I was mate at the time. Then it savs, "immediately on the arrival of the Eclipse in the river, Kereopa made the two clergymen, the crew, and the Europeans residing at Opotiki prisoners." This is not true, for Kereopa was not present then, he was away at the time ; the Opotiki Maori themselves, amongst whom there may have been

some of Kereopa's men, turned us out of the vessel, and took us to the church, situated about fifty yards from the vessel; neither were we bound until afterwards. Next day Kereopa arrived, and an armed guard was put over us. About an hour after this Mr Volkner was taken from amongst us and murdered, and we were taken to a European's house, the owner of which was named Hooper or Cooper, and our hands were tied behind us, but we were not tied up more than three hours altogether. I do not think that either of the Levy's witnessed the murder, because they had been hid in the fern all this time by a friendly Maori, and a party of natives were then sent out to bring them in, and when they arrived they were tied up like the rest of us, but I did not see any " woollen bandages." Besides this,Capt Levy told me himself at the time that he did not see the murder done. Nor do I think that the religious fanatacism of Kereopa would have permitted the presence of* a European at that terrible misdeed. With reference to the recovery of the body of Mr Volkner, four days after the murder I and the crew of the Eclipse were permitted to remove the body from the closet and give it burial, and Sam Levy helped us. The closet was not " nailed up," neither was the "body mutilated." MiGrace desired to read the burial service, but the Maoris interfsred (instigated to do so, I thought), and Mr Grace was persuaded to refrain ; indeed, I led him away myself to the house of a native named Taewai. It was the best house in the place, and he got his food and sleep there. After the burial we were not tied up again, but were left free to walk about. We are next told of the " dangerous bar," which Captain Levy braved in his dingy. The fact is the bar was not at all dangerous, and Captain Levy, his brother, and myself pulled to the steamer in safety. When we got on board we were given to understand that £IOOO would be given for the rescue of Mr Grace. Sam Levy was left on board the steamer, and while Captain Levy and myself were pulling back to the schooner, I suggested that we should try to release Mr Grace from the hands of the Maoris,but he objected, proposing that we should treat with the Maoris to get off William King and Taewai, so that they might confer with Bishop Selwyn, who was on board, and, through them, negotiate the release of Mr Grace, and when we reached the schooner it was agreed that Captain would try to get the two Maoris off, and I would take the schooner over the bar. But as no one would go up the river with Captain Levy, I quitted the schooner and went with him myself. On the road up we considered about the best way to rescue Mr Grace. At first we thought it could be clone at the junction of the twfl-rivers, which would give him a distance of about 400 yards to go to the boat, but we abandoned this idea, as he would have to pass a number of whares, and we determined to make a bold dash at once. Fortunately Mr Grace reached our boat before the natives could interfere ; one woman saw it and gave the alarm too late, for we were away, but not a shot was fired ! And now for the '-'severe losses." When the anger of the natives cooled they allowed us to take the goods from the store and put them in the schooner, and for the goods they had taken they gave us seven horses, all of which were disposed of on our arrival at Auckland. As for burning down the store, I ask you whether it was likely the natives would burn down a whare that belonged to one of themselves, and which Levy only rented ? As for " ruin," I was ruined myself, and lost what money I had on board and every article of doming I have not since asked the Government to make good my little " ruin ;" but if the country is to be appealed to for trading losses and such misadventures as these, I have as good a claim as any other person who figured in that occurrence. —Yours, &c, John Moore, steamer Murray.