TE KOOTI.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1292, 7 March 1883, Page 2

TE KOOTI.

Psverty Bay Massacre. (Continued from Last Evening’s Issue), r* While the settlers about Matawhero were being murdered, the families living in the vicinity of the Patutahi Ford were reserved for the final coup, it being supposed that they could not escape. Nor could they have done so had not one of them, a Mr Firtsin, been awakened during the night by the sound of musketry. The sound was not unusual, but in the then unsettled state of affairs, it was sufficient to keep him awake during the remainder of the night and send him out at grey dawn to reconnoitre. At the ford he met a Maori, and hailed him to know I the meaning of the firing, which was i still going on The reply was, “The ! Hauhaus are killing the Pakeha.” Mr | Firmin at once warned his neighbours, [ YVyllie, Stevenson, and Benson, and these people, taking their children, fled towards Te Wairoa across the Toanga ford. Messrs Hawthorne and Strong, who lived at some little distance from from the others, had been forgotten in j the hurry and confusion of their departure ; but Mr Wyllie remembered I them just before it was too late, and j asked one of the men to return and | warn them. This was a service of great I danger, yet Mr Benson never hesitated, but returned at once. About an hour after these fugitives had crossed the river, Te Kooti and 20 Hauhaus galloped up to the native village near the ford, and ordered the chief, Tutari, to point out the route taken by Wyllie. The gallant old man refused to do so, and Te Kooti, finding his threats and j promises disregarded, lost patience and ordered his men to kill him and his two children. This was done before the wife’s eyes, who was then questioned and threatened with the same fate if obstinate; but she, equally faithful, and more prudent than her husband, misdirected the Hauhaus by declaring that the fugitives had taken the inland track. The murderers, completely deceived, galloped off on a wrong scent, Te Kooti boasting that he would cut pieces of flesh off Wyllie until he died. The young boy who escaped from Major Biggs’ house succeeded in reaching Mr Bloomfield’s and roused the sleeping inmates. There were only ladies and children in the house, but they succeeded in escaping through the enemy though people were being murdered on both sides. While the enemy were attacking Mr Goldsmith’s house, a Mrs. James, mother of the boy just mentioned, was living in the barn with j her eight children; she was roused by |

the shots, and saw sufficient to prove that the Hauhaus were in the Bay. She behaved with admirable coolness. Collecting her children she slipped oter the steep bank of the river, and crawled for more than a mile under the shadow of the cliffs until she was able to entei 1 the scrub, and reached Turanganui 2i hours after the first alarm. Her appearance caused considerable alarm to A an excitable settler, who seeing the troop of small children magnified them into huudreds of Hauhaus. The narrow escapes during this massacre Would fill a volume. The most wonderful escape was, however, tlittt of little James Wilson, who, as already mentioned, escaped into the scrub when his father fell. On the 16th Nov., seven days after the massacre; parties were sent out to bury the dead, and ascertain if any had escaped and were in hiding. One of these parties, consisting of a Mr Maynard and two comrades, saw a poodle dog run into a scrub of briars. Maynard recognised, the dog as having belonged to Wilson. They called and ooaxed the animal in vain, it remained hidden, and this obstinacy led them to the natural conclusion that someone was hiding. A search was instituted, and after nearly half an hour’s work their patience was rewarded by finding little James Wilson with the dog held tightly . in his arms. The boy had been too - frightened to discriminate between friend and foe, but was greatly delighted when he recognised Maynard. He told him that he had lost his way while trying to reach Turanganui to bring help for his mother, who was lying wounded in an outhouse at their place After escaping from his father's murderers he had wandered about, sleeping in outhouses for several V nights, often close to the enemy. At last he found his way back to what had been his home, and saw the bodies of his father, brothers, and sisters, but not his mother until he happened to take shelter in the outhouse, where to his mutual delight he found her alivei When the boy had told his tale, Maynard galloped off to Wilson’s On arrival at the place they knocked at the door of the small building, but received no answer ; they then called Mrs Wilson by name, and instantly heard her say, “ Thank God, help haa arrived ; bring me some water." After her husband fell, the poor lady was stabbed with bayonets and beaten with the butt of a rifle, until the fiends thought her dead ; but later in the day she recovered consciousness and managed to crawl to what had been her home. Here she got some water, and then took shelter in the outhouse, which was less likely to be visited by , the enemy than the house Hore she was found by her son, in the manner already related, and fed with' eggs or anything the lad could forage. Mrs Wilson was carried that same day to Turanganui. For some 1 time it was thought she wou'd recover, but her injuries were too severe, and she died

after her arrival at Napier, in the massacre 83 white people and 87 frirfltdly natives were killed. < Lieut. Gascoigne when warned by his scouts that the Hauhaus were in x the Bay, rode as fast as he could to the Murewai. On his arrival he found that he was senior oificer in the Bay; and he determined to reach Turapganui at all risks, as there was no officer there to direct operations. To go by the beach was impossible, as it swarmed with the enemy, so he seized a boat and pulled across the Bay. On Arrival at Turanganui, Gascoigne found the old redoubt crowded with men, women; and children, and Was told that a whaleboat had gone off to the TawCra schooner, which was at some distance in the offing. She was fortunately brought back, and the women and the women and children were shipped off in her to Napier. The friendly chief Henare Potae armed his men as best he could, and awaited with the settlers the expected attack of Te Kooti. The attack was never made, as Te Kooti was satisfied with what he had done, and contented himself with burning and looting the settlers' houses, and coercing the friendly natives to join him. Within a week Major Westrup and Captain Tuke arrived from Napier, and Drought jwith them 300 natives, and the Hauhaus retired to Patutahi, where they collected their plunder. The first duty performed was the burial of those murdered on the 9th, most of them were found in a dreadfully mutilated condition. The bodies of Major Biggs and his wife were never found, but it is supposed they were burnt in the house, as a lady s hand was found among the ashes. Mr Cadel’s body was found in a better condition than the others, for it had been guarded for seven days by his faithful retriever dog. By this time the natives had arrived to the number of 600 men, but of a very indifferent class as regards fighting. They were placed in command of Lieut. Gascoigne, and on November 21st that officer overtook the rearguard of the enemy at Patutahi, and shot two of them. Quantities of loot, which the Hauhaus had apparently been unable to carry away, were found at this place, and several dead bodies of friendly natives were seen, who had been shot by Te KootFs orders. At Pukepuke another encampment was found with more dead bodies, and the carts and sledges of the murdered settlers, which had brought tlfe loot thus far. About dusk on the 2.3 rd our men came up with the main body of the enemy, who were encamped on the Te Karetu creek with their women ind children, and immediate attack was made, but our native allies were driven back. We lost 5 killed and 20

Wounded, and the Hauhaus lost about 20 men. Our men rifle-pitted the ridge in front of the ilauhait encampments, and remained there a week without anything particular being done. Vp to the time the force had been supplied with rations and amtuiition from the depot at Putatahi by means of a string of pack-horses, under the charge of Sergeant-Majof Butters. But this did nut last long and the opportunity was too tempting for Te Kooti, who sent 60 men under Baker, the notorious half-caste, to take the depot, cut off the convoy and capture all the amnunition he could. The party got in the rear of onr men in line of supply, and though the men escaped only to a timely warning) the Hauhaus captured sundry kegs of amunition, and so large stock of food that they were unable to carry it away. Untimately, reinforcement having arrived an assault was made on the Hauhaus lines, and the enemy compelled to beat a retreat, losing over 84 of their men, including the celebrated fighting chiefs Nama, Kenu, and Henare Parata. Nama was wounded, but was taken alive. The man’s recent atrocities, and his complicity in the murder of some scouts had rendered him particularly objectionable to the Ngatiporu and Wairoa Maoris so they squared accounts a la Maori by dragging him over a fire, and burning him to death. Te Kooti himself had a narrow escape. He was still suffering from a wound he had received at Ruakiture and was carried away up the bed of the Creek on a woman’s back. On the following morning the chiefs Ropata and Hotene went out to reconnoitre and could see the Hauhaus stronghold on the forestclad peak of Ngatapa. On the rnornning of the -sth, Ropata marched to to attack Ngatapa. The pah had tied lines of stony earthworks, extending across a small flat below the peak, either end resting on a cliff. A gun going off accidently, the enemy answered with a volley, and instantly a general panic set in, our native allies retreating with the greatest celerity for nearly half-a-mile, and all efforts to bring them back were found unavailing. Kopata, with seventeen others, commenced the attack upon the pah, working up the sides of the cliff within 25 yards of the first line of parapet. Thirtynine more men were induced to come to their support, but Ropata was compelled to retreat at dusk, and was so disgusted that he went right back to Turanga. Colonel Whitmore soon afterwards arrived at Ngatapa with 800 men, but hearing that tne Hauhaus were burning their whares preparatory to retreat, gave credence to the tale and returned to Turanga. Te Kooti, on hearing of Colonel Whitmore's retreat, raided down upon the Aral and Pipiwhakau bush, where his men murdered Mr Fergusson, young Wvllie, and a friendly Maori. ’ Col. Whitmore at once returned, and after some days compelled Te Kooti to retreat to the Criwera tribe. r For some time after the events related Maoris of desperate character, who had been more or less implicated in the massacre, left Te Kooti and returned to the Bay, where they Were allowed to remain unmolested. The settlers, justly indignant that men who had so recently murdered women and children, should be allowed to settle again among them, formed themselves into a vigilance committee, and some of the members who had lost relatives during the massacre bound themselves by oath to shoot the next lot of ruffians who made their appearance. An opportunity soon presented itself, and Mr Benson shot one of the miscreants dead in a pah. On the following morning Mr Benson was in the township, and to his astonishment was warned to attend as a juryman at the inquest of his victim. Iu vain he assured the constable that he was the

man who had done the deed, and that he ought not therefore to sit. The myrmidon of the law declined to entertain the excuse, and threatened him divers pains and penalties for non-compliance. So Benson not only sat on his own trial, but gave evidence against himself, and the jury having heard his statement, brought in the following verdict, “ Shot by some person unknown, and serve him right.” A piece of pure patriotism that deserves commendation in these degenerate days. (To be Continued).