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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 10, 30 January 1942, Page 5

800 guns with them. Later that day Kereopa, the Hauhau prophet, came Amongst the people. He carried the head cf a soldier under his arm. He delivered a lecture*-lasting ari hour and a half, the subject being religion. He said the ministers had been telling them lies and robbing them of their lands, money and blood, and advised his hearers strongly to take to the new faith. Fatara worked the natives up until they were in a frenzied state, and weird scenes were enacted. On Sunday, . February 26, everybody in the village was converted to the new faith. The natives took possession of Volkner's church and held their services there. The missionary's house was ransacked and everything sold to the natives. Most of the natives 0 were Avorked up to such a state of frenzy that they were in a state of stupidity. Mapy of them spent the nights in the open air lying on the • ground in a state of nudity.- Patara was at Terere when Mr Volkner returned from Auckland, and had been trying to persuade the Torere natives to join him. Kereopa was still In Opotiki, and as Patara had ex- - pressed his intention to kill Mr Volkner, Kereopa proceeded to carry out that intention. The passengers and crew of the schooner were placed under a guard, and, having per- | suaded the Opotiki natives to give a very reluctant consent, he issued the order for Mr Volkner and the Rev Grace, who had returned with the missionary, to be put to death. It was decided that Mr Volkner be killed first and Mr Grace immediately afterwards. Mr Volkner was hanged on a willow tree, not-* far from where the O'pottiki Post Office now stands, and while this tragedy was being enacted and the natives* attention diverted, a, friendly native named Te Wai released Mr Grace and placing him in a canoe paddled c{bwn the river and put out. to sea, where they were later picked up by a schooner and taken to> Auckland. After Mr Volkner had been hanged the body was taken down and moved to the church. The eyes were gouged out and Kereopa swallowed them. The body was opened and the heart removed and the Maori pirophet then drank the missionary's blood. The head was then cut off and placed on the pulpit for the natives to laugh and jeer at. Sooit after the murder Patara returned from his unsuccessful mission at Torere . He became convinced that the murder of Volkner was a great blunder, and found fault, with Kereopa's deed. The martyr's head was buried, instead of being taken back to Taranaki, as had been intended. The'body had . been buried prior to Patara's return from Torere, Kereopa was captured several years later, with the assistance of friendlyf natives. Kereopa, Paraharaka, Horomana, Moani Houpe and Mokumoku were tried and condemned to deatht and hanged. For some time after this military operations were car-\ ried out throughout the district, gunboats frequently visiting tiki and hundreds of troops being stationed in the district at. times. The late Mr Savage had" many interesting experiences and some narrow escapes during these troublous times.