WHITE CLIFFS TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 16 November 1907, Page 3

WHITE CLIFFS TRAGEDY.

HISTORIC INCIDENT RECALLED. | 'J lie death of tlie daughter of the Iti".'. Joliu Whiteley wcilk the tragic audi historic incident tlial marked the close of the Taranaki \\ ar. On Saturday, February 13, 1800, excitt',l by ihv" suecess which had attend, it the arms of the rebels under Te Ko,li and Titokowani, and encouraged by the fact that the whole of the Imperial and colonial troops had again been withdrawn from the Taranaki northern out-|m>-i, a taua, or war party of Xgatiuuniopoto, the section of the great Waikato tribe residing at Mokau, approache 1 i*ukearube, tha British redoubt at While Cliffs.

1 tie. taua approached in broad daylight, and found two Europeans at the blockhouse, whom they enticed away by telling them that there were pigs on tha beach for sale. Milne went first, anl was tomahawked on the path leading lo the beach. Seeing that Richards, the other man, did not follow, the party returned, urging him to come and look at the pigs. The unfortunate man descended the hill, and was killed near to where. Milne felL The taua then rushed up I to the redoubt, and found that Lieuten- ] ant Gascoigne and his family were all-i sent in their field of corn and potatoes. Lieutenant Qaigoine looking up, tau the natives at the blockhouse, and at once proceeded towards them, carrying his youngest child; Mrs Gascoigne and iDe other children followed him. On arriving at a little stream at the base of the hill, on which the blockhouse stood, Lieutenant Gascoigne gave the child to bis wife, and went forward to meet the natives. Approaching him they shook hands with him, and accompanied him to the door. Upon raising bis hand to open the door he was struck from behind, and fell. Soon after Mrs Gascoigne eame with her children, and •he and the little ones were killed. The murderers then tomahawked the house-dog and cat. About sunset Mr Whiteley was seen approaching on horse-back, but was not recognised until he descended the hLI which led to an old pah. After crossing the stream and ascending Pukearuhe, be was ordered to return, but refused to do so, and he and his horse were shot. The faithful Wesleyan missionary, a toiler in the Christian cause in New Zealand for thirty-six years, was sixty-two years of age when killed. No man ha<i done more for the Maoris than he. A writer at the time of his death, referring to his martyrdom, says:—"At length the old man finished the work that was given him to do. It was his custom to ride out to some remote spot on Saturday, sleep there on Saturday night, rise, and hold early Sabbath service, and then proceeded homewards, preaching at the villages on his way. in pursuance of this plan he went to White Cliffs. He was not unconscious of his danger, for he had written a warning letter to the Government concerning this very outpost As the old missionary rode along with the spectacle of Buapehu in front and Egmont on his right, both lifting th- !r snowy crests from the bosom of the d.irk forests to the bright blue sky, little did he know that Pukearuhe hail that day been stained with the blood of a young English mother and of her three babies, and with the blood of three harmless men.

"The missionary crossed the stream at the foot of the hill, and commenced the ascent of the steep path, when from among the war-party of twenty Maoris, headed by a chief, who had been baptised as a believer in a merciful Saviour, and by the name of Wesley, voices we/3 heard calling Hokia, hokia!'—("go back, go back!') "Then there was a discharge of arms, and the missionary's horse fell. Disengaging himself from the dying beast, the agfid minister fell on his knees and clasped his hands in the attitude of prayer. Arms were again discharged; five bullets pierced his body, and so he jn-sed to his everlasting rest." With the death of Mr Whiteley the war in TaraluU was ended. The Government were unable to punish the murderers, tat to a late day the bloodhtained cliffs of Pukearnhe were held by a garrison of the Armed Constabulary. MRS RAWSON. The late Mrs Rawson, the daughter o: the Uev. John Whiteley, was born at the Wesleyan Mission Station at Mangungu, in the Hokianga, in 1834. Soon atterwards the family moved to Kawhia district, and her girlhood was spent there. It was during his residence there that the Kev. Whiteley persnad;d the Waikatos and Xgatimaniopotoe to release the Xgatiawa and Taranaki na tiveg whom they held as slaves, having mured them as prisoners of war. Rev. .Whiteley and his family in 18-3* l came to .New Plymouth and resided at "T'ic Minion" at Moturoa, now Known as .Whiteley Township, and the subject of this notice joined thepi ,iu 186.1, since which time she lias resided here, always enjoying excellent health until this fiit.il illness came upon her. In 1358 j glie married Dr Rawson. There were j four children—three sons and a daughter —Miss Helena and Messrs Harold, Walter ( Judge of the Xative Land Court), and Bernard. By a former marriage there were two sons—Messrs John Whiteley and Theodore King. The first-named died a eonple of years ago, but the latter is an inspector in the post and telegraph sen-ice in the South Island. Dr Rawsdn had three sons at the time of his marriage with Mrs King—Messrs C. E. Rawson (Invercargillt, Dr E. Rawson and Mr H. Rawson (Wellington). The deceased lady was a constant visitor amongst the sick and ■ged, and this fact, in addition to her • sterling qualities, will make her death all the more widely regretted.