The Whareama Tragedy.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1063, 2 May 1882, Page 2

The Whareama Tragedy.

INQUESI. [BY Teieorah,] An inquest was held yesterday at Whareama on the remains of the late John Smitli and family who were found butnod to death on Sunday, ; Mr R, S, Maunsell acted as coroner, No fresh facts were elicited. One witness named Holland deposed that he heard at Kiversdale on Friday that Smith was burned out, ond on Saturday rode to the river. He arrived there after dark and saw the house on the other/ ?ide all j right bo returned. : Nathan dcpoaed that he saw^^raoko near the mouth of the river on Friday morning. This was all the. evidence as to the cauae of the Are that is obtainable at present. Nothing was left oftheunfortanate man Smith but his Bkull. Mrs Smith's skull cannot be found, Some coppers which were in the cashbox were melted,

The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased John Smith, his wife, and two children were burned to death, but that there was no evidence to show how the matter occurred. ,

We publish below the last letter which the unfortunate ferryman' wrote to the Wairarapa East Conn ty. The facts connected with his appointment are very simple. He was placed there by the Provincial Council and Tjrhen the County took charge of the ferry it was found that the land on which it was established was not vested in any puhlio body, but was the private property of.the proprietor of lea Station, Some few mouths back the County decided to discontinue the ferry service, but took no steps to eviot poor Smith, as he was simply the tenant at will of a private proprietor. He pas.s somewhat eccentric man and no doubt the lonely life he led may have contribute to foster a sense of grievance in his mind. There is nodoubt too that Smith had anopportunity of doing well and attaining position of independence. Beside the'ferry fees he worked as a shoemaker, and there is reason to believe that lie made money also as a sly grog seller. It is probable that his connection with the latter traffic was his ' real enemy. 1 We do not desire to impute intemperance to a man who is no longer able to defend himself from such a charge, but it is more than a surmise that it had a share in the - causes which led up to the dreadful catastrophe. The large whare in which poor Smith lived was built entirely of toi toi, and contained six rooms, It must have burnt with frightful rapidity when once alight.

Whareama Ferry, • January 11th, 1882. To the Chairman East County Council, Wellington. Gentlemkn,—l address you as a body representing the Government and having power to act in County affairs. I have heard from good authority tin# the Eev. J. 0. Andrew has written a letter to you relative |o the Whareama Ferry. I know , not what terms Mr,4* Andrew has proposed to you ii} inference to the land, but in the fipstplnce J y/oulfj beg permission to distinctly tell ypu that I was legally appointed here by Govern: ment and am still in every sqriae a go. vernment servant; the appointment by letter to take possession and also Government Gazette pul}lic|y my bpipg appointed as ferryman af; i|ie Wharpfttga Perry. Those document with cprtai|i other papers of correspondence I hay§ lately placed in njy Jawypr'a with instructions to acfc jn my behalf on the next move detrimeijtal to my interest, and I think that time has nearly arrived, There is another thing which I have not saiJaiiytlilngabout. When I applied lothe authorities'far this situation, being ut stranger I had to get testimonials as a guarantee of good character and fitness, Those, together with my appointment by letter you will .fijid in the Government Office. The copy or- impress was taken in a book under a screw-press, This was done in my presgnce. Nqt nuite np||e|': standing the proppaa I asked the question ' why it was done, and was told by the person whose duty lay in this line the paper was so prepared that under pressure the writing gavo out its exact copy and thus became a record of circumstances and faots.

I flame to this ferry as soon as possible after being duly approved of, and three days after arrival was inspected by Captain Halliday, Ferry Inspector, and shortly after received from him paint, oil, boat, oars, and other requisites at different times, also several letters relating to ferry affairs. I was not here long when a gentlemen whose name I ascertained was ■ Wilson, a Government surveyor, called me out and asked me if I could show him the section pegs, Not being able to show hun the whole number he re-surveyed the section and puf new pegs alongside I Jin o)d ones, telling we he'was specially in, Btructed by Government authority to survey this seotion as my ferry rightßi and he also sent me by post a short time after the traoing of the seotion, telling nie to fence when I liked. A short time after this Mr Andrew came to see me, and also to inform me that 1 was on his.land without his permission, but as I suited the place he had no objection to my being here as ferryman as long as I did not put stock on the land; if I did he should drive them away. I told him then plainly if I had no right here lie should eject me and give me a chance of a , proper position, The answer he gave me was that he was not quite prepared to do this as it would cost >B7OO to prove his rights to the place. This was said in the presence of others, and several tiroes did he talk to me in the same strain-that of intimidation. About this time Edwin Meredith, jun., Esq., offered mo cows enough to suit the place if I could pay half the money, Even this offer I was frighted to on account of Mr Andrew's threats, Wow, gentlemen, I ask you had Mr Andrew a right to pounce on me or to cause any obstruction tojenefits aocruing to me from A the place. There |s no one who * live here for the salary and ferry Wthere is not one . in fifty that-paL'^. should never have come here had it not been for the land as the ferryman's privilege, and I ask you once more as the Government representatives is your dealings ' With uif) fajr and Jiopest, l m a R a born Englishman and scarcely merit suoli treatnent. There is no excuse, on your side. You know thelitis 'arid outs' of the • ferry businesi*even better than I do. 1-4-and solitary,'living iniajiu/not nearly bo good as an Englishman's cow's house, subject at any momentjto oollapse.- You were tola of this three years ago.) I put four big shores in front; still the hut i& going. You have left me to live as best I can to battle with ; the- vagabond, the ruffian, and often the lupatic, and woirii} r you believe that we aB a family, have been as much as five weeks,;and ofteir tWo andthree, without tasting'animal ''fcfod of any ' kind. Such have been the state of things •MMi and why? Became of the difference in this and other ferries. They have their several privileges; their groundß are fenced; they want a horse it is at; '

. hand: thoir houses nro goodand licensed, and there is no drenil fif contumely; when their boat is smashed tlioy aro supplied ( with a new one, If wo want a horso we We often days beforo wo can catch one, so that wo aro ofion in want of necessaries; our fence ia cut and hacked at other people's pleasure, and no ono says nay. Out house is so wretchod in appoaranco ' that a licenso would not suit it, and our boat is so broken that many people aro frightened to trust themselves in it. For three years I have wanted a new boat; for sevon years 1 liavo wanted a new house, which Mr Bunny, Colonial Secretary said should bo erected as my rules express house and boat together with all , appliances shall ho erected by Government. Over- six years lias this ferry business been agitated, and you, as a gefcning body, went so far as to wrilo to dwelling me to fence my ground. You iCj publicly expressed yourselves that ■ ■ you were prepared lo do battlo with tho Rev. J, C. Andrew, and to uphold and protect the ferryman in his fencing. Tho fenco was nearly finished in tho month of July. Thero were a fow posts not wired close .to tho house. Tlioy are still standing as they were when put in. The fenco at the back is cut in three different places, and have never been touched by me since the wires were cut by Mr Mackay in presence of Mr Andrew, July, 1880. I had just before bought six cows in anticipation of belter times, thinking as the Council hod taken Iho mattor in hand my affairs wiuld be speedily settled. But no ; the money I spei t in fencing a paddock was hou-prodnctivo, and the cows getting abroad on the run, one of the best and a calf either got shot or poisoned. There is little or no poison on tho ferry grounds, as I took iho precaution lo clean it as fur as the section lines. I had also prepared a very extensive stockyard and cow-bails. The cows have since become wild and Mr Andrew wrote to me, desiring me not to let my cows have any moro increase. All tlmt I have staled and more has been known to tho Council members and Highway Board, ana instead of putting lorth one finger in my aid, you, nine months after tile above events narrated, very politely informed mo that you wero informed that I was slill busily engaged fencing, and'that I did so at;my own risk. I know of.Quly.ono person in this locality who would pke.Bo:,fa)sQ an assertion. I-never.-.dul-ftny. the first timo when i hadyourpeihuission, but I did sonietniie-mftpr- prepare a bit of ground for' garden ■•purposesj .which, ' since that Inst intimation; been touched, ■ ■'! "" \' ' And now we are como to that part on which tho wholo thing hangs, the point ' so very essential for mo to know and you to explain. Why, after being appointed here legally, AYhy, after seven years of liope and suspense I am told what I do is at my own risk. Why has Mr Andrew been allowed to persecute and browbeat me, and why did the land Registry officials send me a notice nnd a privato letter tolling me to come to Wellington to, oppose Mr Andrew, who was then applicant for a Crown title, for this section. You knew there was no real title for this place. About two-and-a-half years ago I . was privately informed on good authority that you had sifted the wholo matter thoroughly and found that the land in point of law belonged to tho ferryman. k Mr Andrew, on one occasion some tlireo "eaps ago, told me that if I would only eppsent lo let hipi pall this place his I ghould do whatever I liked on if, and also 9' }vhen hp put py fence down lip said (ho ,jvjiolo matter rpsted on a mere qpjbtlo ft l^w; and if I would pay him Qnly a pepper-corn rent Jio wpuld let me jiavp tho place and seo that no ono molested jne, I could only answer him as 'I had done before, that I could not break my contract with tho Government, and if the land was really his tho Government TOt pay my losses. Now, if the Council -j)ad come to the rescue, if they had said the place is yours I should liavo answered let the Council tako it as their right, onlj give me the same privilege as other f-rries. If they had said tho land is Mr Andrew's 'Jhey could have given me certain compensation and I could liavo laken MiAndrew's terms, But now hero lam up tq the neck in mire. There is nearly a mile of fencing done, also a stock-yard . ahd over 300 posts on tho land not erected, besides eight years' general loss; and now I am told of Mr Andrew's lajt stratagttic move to try to oust me by representing me as not being fit for the place, after eight years plying on the worst river on the Coast, I am told tho complaint is grog selling. Nearly five years ego two men who wero fencing by contract close to the ferry had a few glasses i-f »rog from me after being on the spree t« set themselves right as they caller it. Prom that timo up to tho present day there is not a man on that station who has ever paid me for a glass of liquor, this Mackay should testify to. If the complaint is inability as a hoat'n: v. • • there is no man living who can teach anything in that line, having been used to ■ boats all my days, For fivo years I worked one of the threeboats in Falmouth Harbor ferry belonging to Earl Kimberley. The gettings of my boat often boing as much as the other two because the public had confidence in my ability and care, and I am certain I can get Irom the rpsidpnts on this coast a character a$ an efficient buatman. IU. 3 4.6.8.?.8 different men whose names I can mention if required to do so, who, the last year, Ji»ve travelled this way from Castlepoint with cargoes of grog, some of those havingmade double journeys, besides what has been had from Tenui, these men being drunk. About the dtink has como from the ferry I will take an oath that I have not supplied for money six glasses of grog for the last year, It is very likely the same man who said I was busy fenc- ■ ' ing who told Mr Andrew about grog • Belling. I hear Mr Mackay has become • one of tho Council. Ask him if those reports are true? ;■ - '.I beg to mention that Mr Audrow some two weeks ago served a notice on me to quit the house, and I returned a written answer to the notice stating that never .having been in Mr Andrew's employ I ■should not start a peg unless through sickness or force, and I also said that if the Government required me no longer as their servant they could discharge me if they thought fit after due notice, That waß.taid'toMr Andrew but not lo jou, .. and I frill not allow this to como between tho jAsvornment apd myself, in the firsMKce is tho Government eyer going tdjpt' me.in my- right' position, if "so, . when is it likely lo take place. If they cannot do this the sooner wo square up Jjie better, * If therp is another billpt ./• ypu fan put pie into as a steady thing, • any. other ferry, toll-gate or roadman, or jf you could manago to give me a piece of , . bush land near Tenui, or some place; I might mention I would not object to this " part payment of my losses. Tho pri--,'l-vations and losses I have sustained is • r'something frightful to think of at my - 'time of life, when I should have had enough to make myself comfortable, J am now very little better off than when I came herey'and that little I have earned . st my own calling. -/Gentlemen, whatever your answer is to what I have written, it must como to me ' : ".direct and not by Mr Andrew's inform- ' • •'tionr You will'be good enough to-let-;.'"y6ur clerk eopy'Mr Andrew's letter rela- . V tive'lo those insinuations thrown out as I particularly require it. I have nothing moro to say at'present. ■ lam, &c M Geokge Smith. Ferryman. l

As Mr— -7 was passing over Iho Rimutaka lie camb acroi-s tho supposed carcase of David Watson, baker, &c., of Greytuwn; ono foot was moving and his left uyo winking at Iho prospect < F tho arrival of a fivo ton dray-load of Hour, and if Iho samo is good, there is 110 duiibt but that lie will soon como lo lifo again. —ADVT.)

MAmr.s aro now being made in the rich heavy materials fashion dictates chnll be worn in the present Autumn and coining Winter. Silk Matalasse, Stamped Velvets, Plush, Moire Silk, Uroclic Silk, will bo used largely for Wraps and Jackets'of all kind?. The shapes most in yogue compriso tho Girny^Mother Hubbard, and, pur'excellent?, ti.c Dolmaii in its nnny varieties,. Stamped nnd Brocaded Velvets aro largely used in combination with other materials for ladies' dresses, Nothing can possibly exceed in richness of effect a Brocaded Velvet Dross with Cashmere drapery and o'verskirt looped together with rich Uord anil Tassels, l.adics can select their own materials at Tu Alio Housd, and have cither mantle or dress made in tho latest styles and with prompt despatch in the dress and mantle rooms of TH Alio HOUSE.—[ADVT.I

■ Carterton v Majtortoii.—As a proof of who are tho cheapest storekeepers in the Wairarapa wo wish to draw our readers' special attention to B. A. (iardencr & Son's advertisement on our front page. This !inn is determined to keep up their reputation. From (lie time of their commencing business in Carterton they liavo repeatedly piovcd that they can withstand competition, 110 matter how strong. It is therefore ridiculous -for another storekeeper from a neighboring township to post price lists lo their customers and pretend to sell at wholesale prices, when "for the smallest quantities B. A. Gardener & Son supply goods in almost every instance 10 to 15 per cent cheaper and in large quantities still further conces sions are nwdo.—fAnvt