In Memory of a Brave Boy

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 8, 21 February 1907, Page 14

In Memory of a Brave Boy

-On Friday evening a meeting was. -held in St. Joseph's^Hall for the purpose of lading steps to. perpetuate the - memory- of William -^riiegt, Mullaney, , who "lost his life by drowning at bake Waihola while endeavoring to save that of a schoolmate. , Rev. Father ' "Coffey, Adm., occupied the chair, and Mr. T. J . Hussey was appointed secretary. Letters of apology for unavoidable absence were read from Mr. J. F. M. Fraser and Mr. J. B; Callan, jun., subscriptions being' in both cases enclosed. The rev. chairman, in opening the proceedings, said it was not necessary for him to say much. • about the object of , the meeting, which ■ was to take steps to perpetuate the memory of young Mullaney, who 'displayed - such remarkable courage on the sad occasion. His" heroism was not the result o.f an impulsive action, for when he failed in his first -attempt he made another, and vhen it was that he lost his Mfe. The boys 'of the Christian Brothers' School had already decided to perpetuate the memory of their schoolmate's heroism by putting up a brass tablet in the school, but in* addition to this it was desirable that some mor<e public memorial of the "boy's brave . deed should be got up. His idea was that the" 1 amount collected be ' invested in the names' of trustees, . .and. the interest -uhereon be given annually as prizes for the encouragement of swimming among the pupils of all the^ schools— public and private — in Dunedin. Another suggestion was that a swimming bath be- constructed at .the Christian Brothers' .School. He made these suggestions, not. .with the object: of leading , the . meeting, but merely to open the way for others present to place their ideas before the^meeting. -Before 'concluding he paid a tribute tottie kindness and sympathy of the people of Waihola on the sad occasion, and also to. the generous assistance given by those who assisted .in recovering the bodies. He desired also to thank Mr. Hayward' for his sympathy and assistance. Rev. Brother Brady approved of the suggestion, as to the erection of swimming baths, -where the . boys., would be taught how .to act on. such an occasion as that which occurred at Waihola. To- /be a good swimmer was not all that was required in such 'an emergency. Mr. G. Haydon expressed his -approval of the sug■v gestion for the erection of swimming baths, and Messrs. J t J. Marlow and -T. J. Hussey spoke in favor of establishing a, scholarship at the Christian Brothers' School, to- be called the. : Mullaney Scholarship.,' Eventually it was -decided to erect a "brass tablet in the Christian' Brothers' School, and that ' the interest of the money subscribed be devoted to tine gra/nting, of swimmings -prizes, the same -to be competed for annually by boys attending all the schools in Dunedin. The following committee," with Rev. Father. Ooffey" as treasurer atod MJr. T., J. Hussey as secretary, wasi set up to give effect to the decision of the meeting.: Messrs. J. F. M. Fraser, E, B. Hayward^ G. Haydon, T. Deehan, and Rev. Brother Brady. ~ It was decided to have' subscription cards printed and distributed, and to forward circulars to the various schools referring to the method of perpetuating the . boy's memory thati had been decided on, and inviting subscriptions. " -