NATIVE OUTRAGE AT OHINEMURI

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 455, 3 September 1879, Page 3

NATIVE OUTRAGE AT OHINEMURI

We take the following from the Wanganui Herald :— Auckland, August 30. Early this morning information was received of & murderous utiac!: i>v natives at Ohinemuri. Yesterday four- men were surveying at Rotokehn, a place about eight tnilefl above Ohinemuri. Part of the Rotokohii is included in the goldfields, and was cbf up three years ago. The party were Surveying a block of Government land, and possibly it may be found that they were engaged on one of the . Government purchases initiated several years ago. The party consisted of Thos. Powdrell (a half caste], Daldy, McWilliams, and Messrs Crump and Bayldon, surveyors.. About 2 o’clock in the afternoon, while working, Powdrell heard a Maori call out “ Look out, you’ll be shot.” Shots were then fired by natives, and Powdrell ran in the direction of Ohinemun. He was immediately joined by McWilliams %vho cried out he was shot. As it px-oved, he was wounded in the hand and .thigh. Afterwards heard firing and saw nothing of Crump and Bayldon. A messenger at once left Paeroa for Shortlaud, and as he was leaving McWilliams was brought in. Superintendent Thomson was at the Thames on a visit of inspection when the messenger arrived, and he despatched Sub-Inspector Kenny and Dr Andx-ews to Ohinemuri. The natives who attacked were Ngatikau tribe, who occupied an inferior postion in the Ohinemuri district under Te Hira ami Ngatiamatera some years ago. Indeed Ngatikou appeared in the Land Court against Te Hira and to assist the Govern- ... merit. What particular reason lias made them attack the survey party is not known. They resided chiefly at a place about half way between Ohinemuri and the East Coast, and on the East Coast. There was no man of note amongst them. The natives who have committed this outrage "will know doubt at once.make their way to the King country, and defy usto capture them. The two surveyors whose fate is so uncertain are well known in Auckland and at the Thames. Bayldon has been a x-esideiit at the Thames for some time, while Crumphas been years at Ceromandel, It is possible that they may have been able to get away into the bush and escape. The fact that McWilliams was wounded shows that the Maoris really meant to kill numbers of the pax;ty. At two o’clock in the morning bugles sounded in Grahamstown for tlxe Volunteers to fall in. Colonel Fraser said 50 men were all ready with arras and ammunition and provided wife several days rations. It was suggested that a general turn out of Volunteers snould take place on Saturday to proceed to the Upper Thames, but Major Murray hesitated to take the responsibility upon himself. September 1. Balydon and Crump only commenced to survej* the disputed block on Wednesday last. It was called Orahukora, apd purchased for Government recently by . E. W. Puckey. ; The surveyors had no suspicion that the natives were annoyed. Brassej, on returning from an inquest at - Pakehe, heard a rumour of the survey being about to be stopped, but so vague that no attention was' paid to it. The volley was fired suddenly on the survey party. McWilliams, on being hit, fell down feigning death, and the Maoris thinking he was killed ran after the rest, who were eluding them. Powdrell, at the hazard of his life, remained in the vicinity of the bush, till McWilliams crawled out, when he assisted him to a place of safety. The attacking party numbei'ed about ten of the Ngatihako tribe. The disputed block has not passed through the Land Court. Grahamstown, August 30. McWilliams, who was shot by the natives, is in the Eospital. He is wounded through the right leg just below the groin; is also wounded with small shut iu the W chest. McWilliams informed the Star reporter that when shot he shammed death, and the natives, one of whom he X’ccognised, came to him and “ korerded ” over his supposed dead body ; one of them cutting off a portion of his hair and chewing it. The feeling in the district is that the Government should take active measures. Hon J. Sheehan, Superintendent Thompson, and a party of police go to Ohinemuri this, afternoon. Official information has been received by the Native Minister from Superentendent Thompson. of the safety of Bayldon and Crump.