THE WAIRAU MASSACRE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 348, 26 March 1910, Page 3

THE WAIRAU MASSACRE

THE SECOND WAR. So the Maoris got a fighting force' together, not a very big force, it is true, only some 200 men in all, perhaps. Whilst waiting for an opportunity of coming to grips with the Europeans', a "friendly" native came to the pah and imparted the information that Sir George Grey and General Cameron would be coming along on the next day, bound for Tataraimaka. The news caused a big stir, of course, arm immediately a big korero was held, the ultimate decision being to intercept the party. Better, they said, "to start with the head of the tree," alluding to Sir George Grey. To make sure of captur- j ing this man, a rangitira amongst uis own countrymen, an ambush was laid, a large party of Maoris concealing them- ! selves in the trees' at the Wairau, near! the beach. A sentry was posted a lit- j tip towards New Plymouth to give no- j tice of the approach of the party, but; instead of the men they expected the | Maoris suddenly found in front of them | a number of soldiers coming in toward

New Plymouth from the other direction. To the best of Hori Teira's recollection, there were about ten men, with a eonple of officers, bringing in a prisoner. "When these came right in amongst us we couldn't let them 'go past. The word was given to fire, and the first volley j knocked all but three down. These ran ; up against a Sandhill, and Kelly managed to crawl away. Then all these yarns that I shot Dr Hope," said our friend with great earnestness, "how could a man tell which of the forty of us killed any of those men? I don't know how the Maori got the yarn at all." The .party from New Plymouth turned out to be only a transport, a couple of drays and provisions. When the firing commenced, the s'oldiers left "the dray, and the Maori* later on got the dray and the flour and sugar. ; "That," he continued "was the start of the scomH war, which started again on all sides."

SUPPORT FROM THE KINOTTES. Then the chiefs sent a message to the King partv, telling them that the fighting °had been resumed by the Government, and asking what cours'e they should adopt. The answer came, "Start to fight." Then the tribes knew that they°had a backer, and prepared for business. The troops, it was explained, had been at Tataraimaka fully three or four weeks before any definite action by the Maoris was taken to rid that part of the country of the pakelia. They waited, and waited, expecting that the troops) would come out from Kaitake. but they made no move. me Maoris chafed at, this enforced inaction, and some of the young bloods started little expeditions on their own account. He was one of a force of a dozen who got clear of the camp unknown to the chiefs, and came overland to the neighbourhood of the Potuku redoubt, hoping to have a stray shot at the pahekas. But no opportunity presented itself. Another party of four came close to the lines) at New Plymouth one night. They were Tautahi, Taikamoko, Turu and another. Taking advantage of the darkness they came right down o Sharland's (rear Bonithon), and rushed the house. Fortunately for the peace ef the community, the house was empty.

A VETERAN'S STATEMENT. Mr J. C. Davies, who was present at the interTiew, remarked that, he had slept in the house the night previous to this attack, but he and the other lads; were ordered not to stay there any more by night, owing to the information that" had been brought concerning bands of Maoris prowling about by night. He was curious now to know how it was that t'he Maoris did not follow their usual custom and burn the house down.

The reason given by this raconteur was that the Maoris were not anxious to make a big Show and bring the garrison out after them. So they contented themselves with eutting down the flnsstaff and stripping th« walls of the calico which did duty as wall paper. Mr Davies said that he had always understood that the Bight of this little band of marauders was hastened by a. volley from Fort Murray, the officer in charge there seeing the lights about the ho-ise and knowing that the place was si' nosed to be unoccupied. "Yes, I believe there was' something of thaf'kind," assented Mr Taylor.

A NARROW SHAVE. Evidently the old saying that "Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do," was as true of the Maori fifty years ago as it is of his whits-skinned brother to-day, for next morning we find Hori Teira and his boon eompanions still on the look-out for mischief. They went down to Honeysuckle Hill, with' a view of intercepting anyone pawing between Oakur,a and Potuku. They »rd an ambush there, and had not long to wait, for in about a quarter of an hour's time an. officer approached on (horseback. Had he kept on bjy the road, this portion of Teira's life itory would never have had to be told. The road would have brought him under the muzzles of the rifles of th« Maori» who lay in wait} on the top of a hank beneath which the road passed. But he struck off across the paddocks. When he came abreast of the ambuscade, all fired, and thfe horse fell. Immediately the Maoris, with the exception of the man who tells the storf,

cleared out, putting a decent distance between them and the Potuku redoubt as quickly as possible. This one exception jumped down into the cutting, tomahawk in hand, and made for the prostrate man, who saw him comffiff, fired his revolver and struck the Maori's.' haversack. A TOHUNGA'S ADVICE. Here the narrative was broken to introduce one of the old Maori superstitions. "The first arm that you tatce off the dead, give it a-way," said tie wise old man. "Don't carry it. It will bring you bad luek. The second man you kill, it is all right. Take Ws gun, and use it." Such was) the advice given to all young warriors, and tnis superstition was so generally held as . to have amounted to a custom. "Now at Wairau, I had taken Lieutenant Hope's watch and chain, ring and ntle. I threw away my fowling-piece, and

stuck to the rifle. I wouldn't five it away. They all said afterw&rdi tl it was the caus'e of me being knocked down that day." CAUGHT AND SENTENCED TO DEATH.

As I told you, I jumped down with the tomahawk in my hands, leaving the gun where I had been sitting. As soon as Waller's revolver went off and hit my haversack I was helpleu. I couldn't see. I couldn't use my hands'. I couldn't move. Then the troops cams and made me a prisoner. They gave me an awful knocking about. Tn«y found Lieutenant Hope's rifle, and found the watch on me. Then they knew I had been at Wairau. The soldiers had a big fight over ths gun. They brought me to the Court at New Ply* mouth and tried me for the murder of Lieutenant Hope. They said I w&» guilty, and I was condemned to be hangdd." The man related the story with the manner of a sLok. Nof a twitch of a muscle, either from unpleatf* ant memories, or from fear of the moment. Then he smiled. "They sent me to Auckland to be hanged, but the Auckland people, they wouldn't have me, and I was sent back to New Plymouth. Mr Parris came to the gaol some time afterwards and read me & reprieve. He told me they weren't going to hang me now, but would keep me till after the war was all over. So I stayed in gaol a long time. Sometimes I thought to run away. Then one tay Robert Graham came to Vie. You know Robert Graham, the man who was on the Lord Wors'ley.' He said to me, "I'm sorry to see you here. You saved my life. " Your people were very good to me, and I'll try and get you off. But whatever you do, don't try to run away." I believe it was through him I got out so soon. "When you com© out come to me," said Mr Graham, and I went to 'him at the Thames and worked for him for about a couple of years.

MADE A POLICEMAN. "When I came back here the Tar*naki people didn't like to see me, lor they knew I -was one of the wildest of the Maoris. They didn't want me to go back amongst the tribes, so they gave me a job as a native policeman. When the native police broke up, they transferred me to the Armed Constabulary. I was sent down to PaTlhaka with them, but told Parris and Rolleston that I didn't want to go and knock my own people about. I asked to be allowed to leave the force, because my mother, my brother and all my relat'ons were' living in Parihaka. They v!>f'«=ed me leave, and I applied for » transfer to another station. Then ; they fcnl m* away from Parihaka." OoinT back on his story, Teira said that when he was first arrested he was nut into a tent, much bruised and tysry «orr all over from his rough 'handling by the soldiers. William Atkinson came' to him and wanted him to slay which was the best way to take Kftitalce pan. He answered, "You find out for yousself." Atkinson took out his revolver !>nd threatened to shoot him if he still refused the information. "I said, 'Snoot* me if you like; I won't tell.' They they filled me up with gin, and Atkinson came up again, but he got nothing out of me."

I didn't like the idea of Hanged. It was no murder. It isn't as) if it was not justified. I believe afterwards I was sentenced to life for attempting murder. I would rather have been shot than hanged. I knew the Wairau affair was not my fault. I didn't get up the war, but just joined in with the rest."

He added that now he was farming down at PMtgarenu. and like the peaceful l : fe best. He is well respected by his neighbours, and few of the fanners around would believe that the pleasant and portly Mr George Taylor, at present a prospermia farmer, was at one time in the forefront of those who offered themselves in misguided, but at timns recklessly bfave, attempts to hold afninst the pakehas the land which was theirs by right of conquest many generations before.