BURNED TO DEATH

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18922, 10 February 1927, Page 8

BURNED TO DEATH

TRAGEDY ON LONELY ROAD. FATE OF WELL-KNOWN SETTLER I THE PSEBS Special Strrirc] AUCKLAND, February P. The "Herald's" Te Awamutu correspondent says that a shocking tragedy occurred in the early hours of this morning, on a back road between Hairini and Tcrahu, about three miles from To Awamutu, resulting in (| IL . ,| ea (|, ot - Charles Kdwnrd lloneylield, a wellknown and highly rejected settler. It appears that lloneylield left his farm on Cambridge lioiid, about six miles from Te Awamutu, at about ;;

a.m. to motor to tho local railway station with the intention of meeting his brother-in-law, Frank Harrison, who was coming from Feilding by the Mnin Trunk express. He had 'previously informed Harrison that if he was not at tho station he was to obtain accommodation at the hotel, whero he would meet him later in the morning. When about halt' his journey had been covered, it is surmised that a fault in tho ignition system of the flve-senter car developed, and Honeyfield stopped tho car on the Bide of tho road.about 300 yards from tho nearest homestead, to locate and adjust the trouble. Actually what happened is, of course, not known, but at about seven o'clock Mr and Mrs L. A. Chamberlain were motoring in from their farm at Hairini, adjoining Honeyfield's property, to enable Mr Chamberlain to join the eight o'clock train, when they saw the wreckage of a burned ear. Pulling up to investigate, they were shocked to see human remains in the debris. Satisfying themselves that there was no sign of life, and gathering from the few recognisable parts of the car that it was the property of their neighbour and friend, they hurried into Te Awamutu and informed the police. Constable Doyle at once proceeded to the scene. There was no doubt as to the identity of the car, but the human remains, which were lying on the front seat with the head behind the steering wheel and the feet protruding from' the opened door on the opposite Bide, were quite unrecognisable. Further enquiry convinced the police that the unfortunate man was Honeyfield, and the family was informed.

Motor experts, who inspected tbe ruins, advance tho opinion that either the fumes from the leaky pipe suffocated Honeyfield, or that he struck a match, causing an explosion, and the benzine flames enveloped him before he could get clear. Mr Honeyfield was a member of a well-known Tataraimaka (Taranaki) family, and came to this district about two years ago to manage a Cambridge road property on behalf of a partnership between himself and his brother-in-law. He was 52 years of age. He leaves a widow and an adult son and daughter.