AN OLD PIONEER'S STORY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 24, 23 October 1907, Page 10

AN OLD PIONEER'S STORY

NEW ZEALAND GOLD RUSHES.

A NIGHT.AMONG MURDERERS,

After the dangers and excitement of the Bendigo gold-diggings, Mr. W. W. Lighthand, whoso Australian adventures were narrated in Tub Dominion.on Friday, found Nelson of the early fifties' quite distressing in its tmuciicss. His father's occupation of a tanner hold no charms for hiin, and he was preparing to jeopardise his life once moro amongst the robbers, highwaymen, and "jumpers" of tho Victorian gold fields, when news of tho discovery of the attractive motal in the Collingwood district, drew him on a nearer quest. The Superintendent of the Province, Mr. Robinson, showed him a small speck of gold, about the size of a shot, and vorj pure, which had been picked up in a rocky crevice by one of a party of pighunters when stooping to drink. "At onco 1 went to Massacre Bay, as it was then called," said Mr. Lightband, "sought out tho discoverers of the small speck, and offered to niako up a party with them to prospect further, but being old residents of the district, and ignorant of gold mining, they worn reluctant to do so. I persuaded them to spend ono day with me, and show me where they had found the speck. With a tin pan wo proceeded to prospect, hut as we were unsuccessful in finding gold in paying quantities, the others returned homo, leaving me alone in that unknown, uninhabited district Light'or.nci's Gully. , "Following up the prospecting, despite very considerable difficulties, I succeeded eventually in discovering paying deposits. I got a Maori to help me, and with much labour we carried a cradle and tub through the fern and scrub to the lucky spot. Wo started in the early morning, and only reached thp. place by sunset, much fatigued by the load on our hand-barrow. Seeing that my Maori friend seemed restless and uneasy, I told him that I would soon hove some 'kai' ready for him, for .we had brought abundant stores.- Ho answerpd that tho sun was setting, and he must hurry back to His pa. 1 told him that there wero both accommodation and food where I was, hut ho declared that tho bush was full of evil spirits, and he dared not remain longer. He set off for his pa at a run, leaving mo alono in that wilderness, i But I had proper tools now with whicW to prosecute my search, and I' was encouraged by tho bonus of £500 which had been offered for the discovery of paying Sold and development of a gold field which should employ a certain number of men within a radius of two miles.

'■'Soon there was a rush to 'Lightband's Gully,' as the placo of my discoveries was called, and in a few months' time the population of minors began rapidly to increase. Other gullies and rivers were discovered containing very rich deposits of gold, and there was immense excitement in the province Eventually 1 applied for the bonus, and my case- was-pleaded' by a solicitor before the arbitrators. There were conflicting claims, and it was urged that I had not been the first to discover gold. This claim I had never made, but my caso was based on the development of the gold field, and to this extent was proved to tho satisfaction of tho arbitrators, though, owing to - circumstances which I did not understand at tho time, 1 never ■ received the bonus from that day to this, the only recognition paid to me being by the ladies of Nelson, who presented mo with a flag to fly over my tent. Owing to tho rapid' increase of miners, and tho fights and quarrels orer claims which took placo in the absence of any laws or regulations, I drew up the first, code of rules and regulations, founded on my Australian experience. Afterwards I was appointed honorary warden of the goldficld, in which capacity I acted for some time. , ■ "Tho secret of the gold bonus finally came out. On one occasion, while visiting Nelson, I twitted.tho subscribers with the fact of its never , being given, and offered to relinquish nn.y further claim if they would* spend tho money on opening up' roads and tracks for the development of the mining;' country. I waj then informed that tho 'bonus was a bogus one; not a penny of money had over boon subscribed • the inducement of £500 consisted only of the paper promises of a few Nelson merchants.", • • ' W'th tho V/estland Rush, Mr. Lightband continued to mine successfully for somo little time. Gold was found in rich deposits extending over a considerable area. _Then came tho discovery of gold on tha West Coast and in Otago, bringing an influx of miners to the colony from all parts of the world, especially from Australia aiid California. About this time, Mr. Lightband went to England in charge of \ a party of Maoris, who were guests of Queen Victoria. The Duke of Newcastle observed to-him how fortunate it was that the discovery of gold should draw thousands of colonists to Now Zealand, when other inducements offered thoin to settlo there wore having small effect. On his return from England Mr. Lightband wa: olfored by the Nelson Provincial Government a position as gold-fields warden in the firoy district, where he was to rolioTO Mr. Blackitt, Provincial Engineer. His senior officer was Mr. Iveunersley, appointed at tho v same time as Commissioner. Strange to say, Mr. Lightband had mot in England Mr. Kennersley's father, a stipendiary magistrato in Birmingham, who had told him that he bad a son "in the colonies," and mentioned tho vague possibility of their somo day meeting ' Tho new Commissioner admitted frankly that ho knew nqthing about gold-mining : or its laws and regulations.,, and suggested they should work together. This was doiie, anil as Mr. Kennersley, who was a lieutenant in the navy, had had valuable experience in commanding men, the combination'of this capacity with Mr. Lightband's mining knowledge had very satisfactory results. .. ! Camped with Murderers. - Shortly afterwards Mr. Lightband left Grey month to take up his duties in a more remote part of the Grey district. Mud trucks wore tho only roads, but as tho distanco was no more than twelve miles, ho thought that he would soon accomplish his journey on foot. Torrents of rain, howover, made tho tracks almost impassable, and in tilt darkness Mr. Arnold missed tho junction of the Arnold (Stillwator) and Grey Rivers, whero a ferry boat was stationed, and proceeded up the Arnold's bank instead of crossing. The adventure which next befell him mnst be told in his own words.' :

"Concluding l from tho time I had liccn travelling that I was off tho track," said Mr. Lightband, "I was looking for an Old Man tree to serve as shelter for the night, when I sinv the glimmer of a camp fire in the distance. I made towards the light, thinking I would got some refreshment, nnd also shelter from the weather. The light came from a small tent, about eight feet by six. I drow near, and, to my astonishment and horror, I found myself in the hands of bad charact,ois. Instead of a kindly reception, they gave mo oaths and curses. There were, four men in the tent, and, by their villainous faces and tho way they welcomed me, L finessed that they were murderous wretches. Thinking it the wisest course to bo quite candid'with them, T told them that I was the new warden, who was expected at tho camp, and that I had lost ray way. I apologised for disturbing them at that hour of tho night, hut they did not improve their treatment of me.

"Standing by their camp fire in a downpour of rain, and in a cloud of mosquitoes, J felt very uncomfortable nnd very insecure, hut there was no chance- of recovering my track. After a while I asked them if lliey would give me a bite to eat. Their reply was hardly fit for publication, but they gave nio a hit (if damper, and pointed ;o the dregs in their billy. Kvcn for this I was thankful. Soon all four turned in, without'offering mo shelter from the "pelting rain. I made bold to ask to be allowed to sit in the folds of tho tent, where I could shelter myself from the cold and rain. They told me that I might put my 'carouse there if I chose. I did so, and the villainous faces of these men, who afterwards confessed to over thirty murders, but stated that they bad lost count of the exact number, never left my memory. They were tho notorious Maunp.itapu gangBurgess, Kelly, Levi, and Sullivan. I watched, not without anxiety, for the first glim-

mor of daylight, when 1 could make my escape from these wretches, and in shifting off, stiff from so long sitting, I was careful, not to break a stick or twig which might disturb their slumbers. Atrocious Crimes. In short timo Mr. Lightband reached the warden's camp, .whsre anxiety had been aroused by his late appearance. He believes it was the thought ol\ this in the minds of the four murderers which kept him safe in their company, though they might have taken another view of the matter if he had remained longer. Ho described tho-appear-ance of the four men, and was told that they were under surveillance on suspicion of being connected with a number of murders, but that, as .yet, no proof existed.'. The method adopted by theco murderers was to strangle their victim and throw his body in the river.- If the body was ever found there was nothing to show that death had not been caused by drowning. So many bodies were found in this way that suspicion's were at last aroused, and finally tho crimes were sheeted home to the infamous quartette, who used to ride in and out of the mining camps as boldly as if no breath of suspicion could ever blow on them. Mr. Lightband junior remembers that for a time, his father never seemed to bo away from home without holding an inquest on some unfortunate, whose body had been drawn out of the river.