TE KOOTI.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 209, 2 September 1911, Page 17

TE KOOTI.

«ome accoMt of the Maori fanatic who, with hit bamd of " Han " terrorised ud murdered Ea*t Coast settlers fifty years as*.

BY JOHN FEATON.

CHAPTER 111. ~r- rnnTl ESTABLISHES HIMSELF IX THE UREWERA COUNTRY AND AMBUSCADES COLOXEL WHITMORE. r at was the con?ternation in Auckland and Wellington when the news A that the Chatham Island prisoners had escaped and were at large in the Bav district. Crowds thronged the streets of both cities earnestly canPoverty x> J intpQnant cvent which it was thought might unsettle numbers of vassing k ac j heen qu j et f nr yenTS an j cause many other Maoris who were natives \ eir a u e gi a nce to again take up arms and endeavour to wipe out Scores The Government at once dispatched from Wellington to the Chatu Stands the ss Stormbird tn learn full particulars as to the escape of the • rs and the fate of Capt. Thomas, his guard and the inhabitants. The pnS Tof the prisoners could scarcely have happened at a worse time for the " ca P ent had still on their hands a lingering and costly war on the West rt in which the natives under the ferocious Titokowaru were having Jvledlv the best of the fighting. The Imperial troops had all left the colony >n the exception of the 18th Regiment, and they were not under any circumMncei allowed to take the field. The only corps the Government had was a all force of Armed Constabulary, and a few local volunteer cavalry who were Sffl fble to cope with the enemy on the West Coast without engaging a fresh fin a distant and rugged part of the country. Four years had elapsed since hj Waikato war. and the thousands of trained men who had taken part in that campaign had long since been disbanded and were now scattered in all ffrections although many wore still in the colony. In Auckland the military nirit that had sprung into existence and been developed during the progress of th war in the Waikato. was fast dying out and was but a mere ember that would take a considerable amount of fanning to produce any sparks. Rich gold had just been discovered in the Thames ranges and gold, gold, was the absorb- • to pj c 0 f the dav—the magnet that was drawing crowds to that one spot from all parts of thecolony. Those ready and willing to bleed for their country few in number. The Government had neither the means nor the inclination to engage in a fresh war; they were sick of fighting, and longed for peace almost at any price, and so the urgent appeals for reinforcements from the East Coast were almost unheeded. This state of affairs exactly suited Te Koou' who passed the Hangaroa stream, had now firmly established himself in the almost inaccessible ravines and ranges of the Urewera, from whence he could swoop down like a bird of prey upon almost any part of the East Coask from Napier to Opotiki. The Urewera Natives received Te Kooti and his followers with open arms: they became Hau Haus to a man—a superstitious religion that enjoined the extermination of all Europeans and a belief that the angel Gabriel with his legions would protect and fight with them against their enemies. The priests of the order claimed to have the gift of tongues and power to work miracles. Marriage was proclaimed of no account and men and women were enjoined to live together promiscuously. Te Kooti had now a strong force and considered himself, with the angel Gabriel at his back, able to cope with any force that might be sent against him. One great drawback to him when on the move was that he had hundreds of camp followers in the shape of women and children who considerably hampered his movements, although many of the women could and did handle a gun as well as most of the men. The women also loaded the gins, cooked, and attended to the sick and wounded. There being no signs of any fresh reinforcements from either Wellington or Auckland, and the Volunteers at Turanganui objecting to ~iarch intc the Urewera country and leave their own district unprotected. Colonel Whitmore determined to start after Te Kooti with the men he had brought from Napier. On the 6th of August Colonel Whitmore crossed the Hangaroa with a mixed force of Constabulary and Natives numbering in all about 130 men. At this point the pack horses that accompanied the column were sent back and three days' rations were served out to each man. The trail to be followed led the expedition through a wild and rugged country. Many times the column could only advance in Indian file, the river had to be crossed and recrossed knee deep, steep precipices had to be climbed, and the cold was intense. At night the men lay on the ground in their blankets despite falling snow, and the expedition suffered severely. In the distance the glare of Te Kooti's camp fires could be seen. On the afternoon of the Bth Colonel Whitmore was close to the enemy's position, and the column proceeded with great caution, expecting any moment to fall into an ambush, for which the country was peculiarly favourable. The men were tired, ragged and footsore and for the most part more fit for hospital than to engage in a deadly struggle with a foe like Te Kooti. At 3 p.m. the advance guard entered the gorge on the banks of the Ruakiture river. They had no sooner done so than a heavy musketry fire was opened on the leading files from both sides of the river. The main body moved rapidly forward to support the advance guard and the whole force was immediately engaged Capt. Davis, leading his men. was shot dead, also Messrs Canning and Carr, two gentlemen who had accompanied Colonel Whitmore from Napier as volunteers. Te Kooti was in force and Colonel Whitmore soon found that he was not strong enough to dislodge the Natives from their position. The Sght was, however, kept up until night, which falls quickly in those deers ravines, threw its kindly mantle over the scene of bloodshed and put an end to the unequal conflict. Colonel Whitmore immediately fell back, but with great difficulty owing to the darkness and broken nature of the country. The same causes prevented the enemy from following in pursuit, or the wounded, amongst whom was Capt. Tuke, could not have been saved. As it was the killed, six 10 number, were left in the gorge .where they fell, and where they remained nnbuned for some time afterwards. In this engagement Te Kooti was wounded in the foot, and partly on that account did not perhaps follow the next day in pursuit of Colonel Whitmore, whose force he could easily have overtaken l and decimated—hampered as it was with the wounded, short of provisions and with no supports the expedition could have offered but a feeble resistance to ally attackng party. Te Kooti must have suffered prettv severely in the fight, for the next day he struck camp and fell further back into the ranges, toloncl Whitmore s expedition arrived back to camp at Turanganui thoroughly dispirited, and the Colonel's well-known ardour for the time considerably cooled. J CHAPTER IV. TE KOOTI MASSACRES THE SETTLERS AT POVERTY BAY. Lieut. Sanders, who had been out on a scouting expedition from the Wairoa to ascertain the whereabouts of the enemy, returnee! on the 2nd of September and reported that he found Te Kooti strongly entrenched at Puke- I tapu, not far from the scene of the fight which took place a few weeks before ! with Colonel Whitmore. Lieut. Sanders got within ,5 miles of the pa. and could ' plainly see the palisades. A few days after news was brought that a friendly young j chief named Karaitiana and three of his tribe, who were watching the movements of Te Kooti, were killed. Directly after this event Te Kooti made a demonstration in force against the Wairoa settlement, then occupied by military settlers, who, upon the approach of the enemy, retired to the redoubt on the Clyde. Capt. Tuke. in charge of a force of 120 friendly Natives under the chiefs Renata and Tokomoana. was hastily dispatched from Napier to assist in defending the Wairoa district. When the party arrived, however, Te Kooti had retired. The relieving force followed in pursuit but failed in their efforts to find the whereabouts of the enemy. At a Native village named Whatoroa | they discovered the bodies of the young chief Karaitiana and his three men I dreadfully mutilated. Karaitiana had been tomahawked and his heart and j liver taken out and probably eaten. He was split open as a butcher dresses | a sheep. The settlement had been burnt and an old Maori found in the plantation was shft and an old woman taken prisoner. The expedition then returned to Napier. The settlers on the East Coast for a hundred miles were now in a most excited state, not knowing when or where Te Kooti might not fall upon and destroy them. At Matawhero. Poverty Bay, a numerously attended meeting was held when the following resolutions were unanimously carried : 1. That scouts be at once sent out on the three main outlets from the Ulterior to obtain, if possible, some insight into the movements of the enemy. 2. That a redoubt be erected in some central position to serve as a refuge I for Natives and Europeans. 3- That a memorial be addressed to the Government begging that aft efficient force may forthwith be stationed there. 4- That this meeting seeks to express in the strongest terms its dis* approval of Colonel Whitmore's management while in command here, it being notorious that he took every opportunity of insulting the people of this Place, both Native and European, and that his conduct generally was calculated to excite ill feeling between the Natives and the Government. The fact of the above resolutions being carried shows that a very lamentable state of affairs existed at that time in the district, and that the settlers having no confidence in the officers in charge of the district had determined to *? ... . e rc,ns im o their own hands and look after their own safety themselves, j A Vigilance Committee was formed. Scouts were sent out. and two strong I redoubts were commenced—one at Turanganui and the other at Matawhero, I close to the residence of Major Biggs, who was then senior officer. Colonel : Whitmore after his defeat having returned to Napier. On the sth of Novem-, ber the Vigilance Committee informed Major Biggs that Te Kooti was on the move descending the Patutahi valley. The Major informed the committee I that they need not be alarmed as he had scouts out under Lieut. Gascoigne, who would keep him posted as to the movements of the enemy. The com- ' mittee satisfied that all was well, returned to their homes, and the settlers r glance Before dawn on Tuesday morning, November 10th, ic-08, a never to be forgotten day in the annals of the Poverty Bay dis'rict, the settlement at Matawhero lay wiapped in slumber, no sound broke the stillness j 01 early morn except the occasional bark of some watchful sheep dog. the distant cry of the swamp hen, or morepoke (night owl); and although Te j AOOti and his triumphant fanatics were known to be hovering in the vicinitv ; on vengeance bent, no sentinels guarded the peaceful homes of the sleeping t VT e "- —During Ui night a large band of Te Kooti's men crossed the Patutam lord, moving 111 the direction of Matawhero. Major Biggs, confident in we alertness of hi? scouts, had, with the rest of the settlers, retired the night 1 oeiore lulled into a false sense of security, for he had received no news con- ' cenung the movements of the enemy. Suddenly he was aroused from his slumbers by the sounds of Maoris talking. Thinking that it was some of his nii«t VC S T U , tS arnved Wlth important news he hastily jumped out of bed and questioned the new arrivals, who instantly fired at him. wounding him severely. Running back into the house the Major called out to his wife to fly for her re, and asked a lad named C. James who was in the house and worked for the wajor where his gun was. The boy replied that it was not loaded but handed u to mm. I he Major, whilst in tl e act of loading, was fired at again and fell, ine rsatives then rushed into the house, lit a fire, and commenced devouring WK V u e l han ' ,y - Mrs B,ggs a,i lhis timc was standing by her wounded husband with her child in her arms. The Major implored her to fly for her In? !i I C he r°, ,call - v expressed her determination to remain with him to the ! mti. k gg *!r he l servant - M " Farrell, to make her escape whilst there was i *« tune, but Mrs Farrell obstinately refused to leave her master and mistress.

The boy James attempted to escape oat of the back door, but finding a number of Maoris there he returned and squeezing him<n4f through the Natives crowding the front of the house under cover of the gloom, crawled into a flax bush and from thence into the surrounding scrub. The boy escaped not a minute too _ soon, for the Maoris immediately commenced to beat out the brains "of the Major, and murdered Mrs Biggs, her infant, and Mrs Farrell, who were afterwards found mutilated in a most horrible and shocking manner. At the same time as Major Biggs and his family were killed another party of Natives attacked the residence of Lieut Wilson a short distance away. After firing several volleys at the inmates they set fire to the house, the flames casting a lurid glare over the surrounding country. Lieut. Wilson was killed and his wife and three children were bayoneted. The eldest boy, about 9 years of age, escaped in the confusion and was found several days afterwards. Mrs Wilson was also alive when found, but afterwards died of her wounds at Napier. The body of John Moran, servant to Lieut Wikon, was found cut into three pieces. The boy, Charles James, after escaping from the house of Major Biggs, ran to Mrs Bloomfield's, which was not far distant, and gave the alarm. He knocked loudly at the door, calling out that the Maoris were murdering everybody. Mrs Bloomfield and her sister, who resided in the house, could hardly realise their dreadful situation, but when they were thoroughly awakened they got up and. snatching up Mrs Bloomfield's three children, fled towards Turangamii, about six miles distant. They were accompanied in their flight by a boy named Tom Finukin, who worked about the house. By his advice they kept in the scrub skirting the coast to avoid being seen. They could see as they travelled Lieut. Wilson's house in flames, and could plainly hear the loud shouting and firing of the Maoris. In an exhausted state they at length reached Turanganui. Mr. Walsh, his wife, a child, and infant were surprised and murdered; also, Messrs. Padbury and Cadell, single men, living in a house by themselves. Mr. and Mrs. McCuUoch and baby, with Mary McDonald, a niece of Mr. McCulloch, were surprised in their house and killed, also Mr. and Mrs. Mann and a little boy one year old. Mr. Goldsmith, stockman to Capt. Reid, of Turanganui, being in the vicinity, and hearing shouting and firing of guns, rode over to the spot and was horrified to see the body of Mrs. Mann lying on the ground terribly scorched. The savages had killed her, and then set fire to her clothes. Iwo natives were standing near at the time of Goldsmith's arrival, and they attempted to seize the horse's bridle, but Goldsmith, putting spurs to his horse, threw them off and galloped away. Fortunately at the time the guns of the natives were not loaded Passing along he saw the body of Mrs. Walsh and her child, shot through the head, moaning piteously by her side, and outside of Mr. Cadell s house were lying the bodies of Messrs. Cadell and Padbury Hastening on at full speed through Makaraka he reached Turanganui with the dreadlul news. Messrs. Dodd and Pepperd, who resided on their run beyond -Vlatawhei-o. were probably the first of the settlers who were killed for the natives on their way to Matawhero passed their place, and a man named Butters going there early in the morning to shea-, found them lying dead from gunshot wounds. The house of Mr. Goldsmith was situated in a height of the river Waipaoa, and was attacked with the others. Goldsmith was not at home at the tune, but the natives killed his half-caste daughter Maria and her baby. Mrs. James, who was living in an outhouse belonging to Goldsmith, was ?l arrr lx y a boy named Tarr > and managed to escape with her six children. Mr Munn, who lived between Waerengahika and Matawhero, was on horseback near his house on Tuesday morning, and seeing some natives moving about who he knew in Napier, he called out to them. One of the Maoris, by way of answer, drew a revolver, and fired, the ball striking Mr Munn on the shoulder. He, however, galloped off, and escaped. A man named James Garland had a miraculous escape. He lived in a little hut near Mrs. Bloomheld s, but, strange to say, was not awakened by the noise going on around, and in the morning at about 5 o'clock he got up to milk the cows as usual, and was horrified to behold what had occurred during the night. Not a native was to be seen at the time, although they were still in the neighbourhood and remained the greater part of the day ransacking and burning the settlers' homesteads. A number of friendly natives living at Matawhero also fell victims to the rebels. At the time the news of the massacre reached Turanganui, between four and five in the morning, the schooner Tawera was standing out of the bay. bound for Auckland. Capt. Reid at once got a boat and crew and pulled after the schooner, which he succeeded in overhauling after rowing hard for several hours. The vessel was put about, and returned to her anchorage in the bay. (Continued weekly)