OPOTIKI.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume VI, Issue 548, 15 December 1877, Page 3

OPOTIKI.

(fbom owe own cobbbsbondbnt.) Decembcu- I.oth. FATAL ACCIDENT. A sad and fatal accident occurred here on the 27th November, resulting in. the death of a young Maori named. "Winiata,. aged' 12 years. The deceased, it appears, went with a relation of his, named. Hakeaha, in. a bullock dray to cart in some firewood, which, was stacked on the Hikutaia Road, about a mile from the settlement. Having loaded, the-dray deceased, climbed on the top, and Hakeha sat in front driving, on descending an incline at that portion of the road passing through, the Hikutaia Farm, the bullocks, which- were young and not thoroughly broken in, feeling the dray pressing upon them from behind bolted and capsized the dray at the foot of the hill, Hakeaha leapt off without injury, but Winiata unfortunately became entangled in the wood, and the dray turned completely over on top of him crushing him beneath it. The' bullocks then dragged the dray a few yards further leaving the deceased upon the ground, who then called out in a faint voice " I am killed," and immediately expired. Hakeaha then proceeded to tho A.C. camp at the Waioeka Bridge, and obtained assistance, the body was brought to the Royal Hotel where an inquest was held the same day before G. A. Preece, Esq., Coroner, and a jury of 12, of whom Mr S. Crapp was chosen Foreman. After hearing the Maori evidence Dr. Reid gave medical testimony to the fact of death having been caused by crushing and by a deep wound which had penetrated the back near the spine, evidently caused by a piece of blunt wood, and a verdict of " Accidental Death" was returned accordingly. THE LATE DROWNING CASE. On Wednesday evening last another fatal catastrophe occurred, between 6 and. 7 o'clock. The report was circulated that a little boy aged i years, the son of Mr F. Croon, Builder, of this place, was missing, the alarm soon spread, and numbers of people joined in the search, which was kept up with spirit, the first traces discovered being two empty bottles which had been seen in deceased's possession •shortly before he was missed. These were picked up in the water at the edge of a small tidal creek running at the back of the Roman Catholic Mission House, and it was then concluded that he must have fallen in. Several persons then proceeded to wade through the creek with sticks and lanterns, but it was not until half -past 11 at night that the body was at length discovered by Mr Nicholson, and brought home to the afflicted parents, for whom the deepest sympathy is universally felt, as they are among.the oldest of the Opotiki settlors, and are highly esteemed by all who know them, while the little fellow they have lost was an intelligent and promising child, and a general favorite. The inquest was held on the Thursday at which a verdict of "Accidentally Drowned" was returned, and the same afternoon the funeral took place, at which the greater portion of the townspeople attended, while groups of young children followed with bouquets of flowers with which they covered the coffin at the grave. The unusual concourse of people, and the sad circumstances of the occasion rendered the ceremony one of the most important and imposing ones we have had for some time past.