THE ONEHUNGA TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1519, 30 November 1886, Page 4

THE ONEHUNGA TRAGEDY.

The Auckland Bell bM the following on (he above melancholy (object“ To the case itself we ehell not farther revert, bat to the oiroQffliteHoei that have led op to poor Oorr'e ending we moet refer, for there were malign influence* at work which account at onbe for the ill*feoling among certain peraont at Onehanga—which fanned the rumors, If it did not originate them in the flnt place—and for that extreme and illegal action of Ihf Board of Education which has earned the death of Mr Qurr, There ie a penon called Millar reeident it Onehanga. a preacher of religion of eome kind, and an intimate penonal friend, and, we think, co-religionist, of Mr Our, who is,a member of the Auckland Education Board. This Millar live* next door to the late residence of Mr 6ntr, which is school property, and has, or bad, a hand■ome avenue of ehade trees. In these tree* Mr Oorr had particular delight, became they were, a favourite walk for his wife, whose delicate health made the ehade from the sun grateful. But they obstructed the prospect of this minister of religion, who was moved by the sight of this Naboth’s vineyard, and made meny effort* to have the trees eat down. Hie effort* with the School Committee were unsuccessful, and he applied to the members of the Board of Education, and Mr Carr came out to Onehunga and tried to induce Mr dorr to .have the trees removed. Thie also proving ineffectual, a ukase came forth from the Board of Education in Auckland authorising this Millar to ont down the trees. Accordingly, taking advantage of the teachers’ abaeheekt school duties, Miller went into Mr Ckrr’s; grounds, accompanied by i the preacher's brother-in-law, and cut down one of the trace, impending work for the dinner hour. Mr Gurr, on bis return from aohool finding what was done, expostulated, when the minister replied that after dinner he would rsstune his work, He was as good as his word, and accompanied againby his brother, in-law he entered the ground!. Mr Qurr demanded’to see hie authority, which he reused. The teacher resisted the deitrnotion of the treat, and in the struggle with the minister of religion and bis accomplice wae very roughly bandied, being beaten about the head .and face. In the midst of the straggle, Mr J. Robinson, member of the School Committee, and councillor of Onebunya, hpppeud to come to the fence, and lacing the straggle hcard the brother-in-law txclsiminf, k " I thiank Odd I was converted a fdriniglu ago, or I would have killed you," 10' lhr the iccne wai a bloody oe. IMr Bobimon rnihed forvard exclaiming, '' Yon couple'of bUekguardf, !,heard you say you would kill him, ” and rested Qurr from these two mono! Ood.' The rumours against poor Qurr had their first origin among two. men Of thie Miller'b congregation. We do hot allege, nor is it ilen(nlad, r Ithat Mr Millar had anything whatever to do with originating the talk, but it was the holy gossips of his people, doubtless, moved by reipeet for their pestor, and a desire to discomfort big foes, that started iahd ; fanned tbC miiohlcf, which when traced to its source was found to be nothing at .all.”