Information on bodies wanted

Press, 18 October 1976, Page 15

Information on bodies wanted

A story under the heading of “Mystery deaths in 1929 ’quake” in “The Press” of September 28 has prompted an inquiry from Mrs Sarah Leitch of 1A Ayers Street, Rangiora. The story concerned the desecration of crosses erected at the site of an earthquake slip near the upper Mokihinui River, north of Westport, to commemorate two gold prospectors, David Russell and his son James, who are believed to have been buried by the slip. The Russell family had lived in different parts of North Canterbury, including Parnassus, for several years before Mr Russell and his son vanished on a holiday gold mining venture, said Mrs Leitch, who was a cousin of the late Mrs Emily (Doll) Russell. the wife and mother of the victims.

Mrs Russell, who came from Orepuki, Southlands spent the last five years of her life with Mr and Mrs Leitch, who lived in Invercargill before moving to Rangiora 12 years ago. Mrs Russell’s father, the late James Kirkton, discovered the first payable gold near Orepuki in the

Longwoods, where 200 Chinese were among the gold seekers in the early days.

Mrs Russell’s brothers were all gold miners too, with one having experience in South Afirca, and Mr Russell developed a life-long interest in gold mining as a side-line to his other work.

James, who worked on the railways, was holidaying with his parents when Mr Russell -and James went off on their ill-fated gold mining excursion and were not seen again.

One of Mrs Russell’s last wishes was that if ever the mountain slide shifted to expose the remains of the bodies of her husband and son or the relics were recovered in some other way that they should be taken to Orepuki to be buried with Mrs Russell, where her Maori ancestors are buried also.

A trustee for Mrs Russell’s affairs, Mrs Leitch said she would welcome hearing from anyone who might be able to provide more information about the possible location of the bodies of David and James Russell.