THE TARANAKI WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81899, 6 December 1906, Page 2

THE TARANAKI WAR.

THE MURDER OF JOHN SARTEN. In regard to the reference made at the Veterans' meeting held a& now Plymouth on Monday evening last to John Sarten, Wells' History of Taranaki states that lie was wounded near liis ieft hip, the ball pawing tkiougn his body and being cut out of his right breast. He was llio first man to receive a death wound in the Tai'anaki war. Just previously to recording this incident the historian recounts how three men of the mounted volunteers dashed up to the palisade of a strong newly erected pah on Devon road, just within the town boundary, and one of them, evidently Sarten (though no names are mentioned), was dangerously wounded. "Under the impression that the pah was now deserted," states the historian, "two or thiee volunteers made a dash to secure the flag. They readied the palisades and were tugging away at the flag when a yolley was tired from the iace of tho pah. The two at tho palisade escaped unhurt, but the third, who was galoping up, received a dangerous wound, fell from his horse, and after crawling some distance was gallant.y carried out of fire by a sailor of the Naval Briga.le and a private of the 65th regiment" This occurred on March 17th, 1800, and the officer under whom the engagement took place was Colono. Todd.

A further interesting reference 's also made later to the murder of a biothcr of John Sarten by the natives, "On Tuesday. December 4th, IS6O, at 4 p.m.," slates the writer, "ii lad mimed Jiseph Sarten, who was ir. the lltnui on horseback seeking a buliock, was shot and tomahawked. A boy named William Northcote witnessed the whole affair. A volley was fired, and Sarten fell, and directly afterwards several natives ran out from behind a furze-bush and tomahawked him. Northcote escaped and rode into New Plymouth with the intelligence, and a party of milit ; a and rifles, and the inlying picket of the 12th, with the mounted vo'unteers, proceeded to recover the hotly. It was fountl where he fell in the lane running from the Devon road past the Henui Church. lie had received throe bullets in the back and side* and was brutal'v knocked about the luad and legs bv tomahawks. Mis horse was led inio town with a bullet through ils neck. The shots in the body showed that at least four persons lind been engaged in the murder and from tho character of (he wounds they fad evident y been pr.sted within a few yards of where their victim pasee.l. The poor boy was sixteen years of at>e and was the second of tho family which iv,'' a violent end from the rebels, '