AFTER THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 187, 2 May 1908, Page 6

AFTER THE WAR.

TROOPER WHITTINOTON AND HIS , HORSE. " ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL." This is tho story of Trooper Whittington, of tho Opunake Mounted Rifles, who adventured, with others, to Paremata in the year of grace 1903, to raid tho city of Wellington. What befel • tho raiders has been duly said and written. They were beaten, and they havo since departed, horse, foot, and guns, whence they came. But they left behind them, in the land of tho Philistines, a solitary raider, penniless, horseless, and kitless—Trooper Whittington, of Opunake—and it now remains to tell how ho camo to bo left behind, and how lie fared in tho enemy's country. . , Captured by tho Reds! During the' sanguinary conflict' which raged over tho country between Paremata and Johnsonyillo during Easter, Trooper Whittington fell into tho' Hands of tho enemy, and was Relieved -his, horse. On Monday, April' 20, tho, day' of' ontrairiment for home, tho trooper fell-ill, and it was at first thought that ho, had contracted pleuro-pncu-monia. . .;' 11l in tMo Hospital. His condition • was'so serious that he-was ,detained at 'Jolynsonvillo that night,. and the following day, and in the evening was taken to the Hospital. It may be' here explained that tlie trooper collapsed on' the platform-of the railway, station at Johnsonville. and it was -then suggested that,-_as nothing had been heard of his horse, which had been captured by the " Reds," '.the poundkeeper, who was then on the station, should "be instructed not to impound the animal, should ho como across, it on his rounds. One of Trooper Whittington's comrades remained behind to look after .him, but returned to his homo on tho following day. Strandedl i ' - V On Saturday,' April 25, the .trooper, came out of the hospital." What was at first considered to bo pneumonia turned' out' to bo a slight rick to tho intestines, occasioned by a fall over one of the numerous' littlo cliffs 1 whioh form the sides of tho. dips and. hollows of the rough country over which.tho man- s oouvres ; oxtended. .. When .Trooper Whitting- , ten:..;camo out of/the- hospital ho-'had no money, his .kit was gone, ( and his horse, was anywhoro.'between /Wellington and, Opunake. Like 'a good 'trooper, ho first thought of his horse.:' Ho made; his way to John'sonville, and there found in' tho ranks' of itho local riflo corps a friend, who saw to his accommodation for the night. . The Trooper Finds His Horse. .; Next morning (Sunday);lie found his horse, aftbr a longi.ti'amp;' in tho Kaiwarra; pound, ''atti,-wa'sfinfonhed'fthat for a. consideration —32s. —the pbundkeeper, would • bo delighted i to.restorpvthei; animal, which had been thero ' since Wednesday, -April-': 22. It has been already stated that our trooper.'was, penniless, and, as lie was unable to persuade tho • jKmndkeeper, to waivo tho financial formalities,'ho had perforce to trudgo to town. Ho then. applied, tp tho Defence .Department for a'''Solution ''of :i hi's difficulty/ : - Would the authorities, do something ?' -They did. . They sent a. telegram' to tho officer commanding the Opunako Mounted Rifles, acquainting htm of tho plight of -his trooper, and requesting .him'to take-steps to release tho horse. But, they said, they' had-no'power: to res'cuo tho trooper's horso. • . . ■ Still In . tho Pound. . . Tho animal is still in tho pound, and the 'bill'-for' his .keep is climbing up liko'.'." a nigger skimming.up a .persimmon tree,", to quote' an" 'Ainoricahism." Thero ,is something wrong somewhere. Tho . current opinion among those who aro acquainted with the history of the 1 caso 'is ' that -ho who took should return. The Red .Force took tho trooper's horse; should they'-iot roturn it? Cood News for the Trooper. • ; A' representative-of' The Dominion ,waited upon,tho District Adjutant-Goncral"(Captain T. W. M'Donald) yosterday, aiul asked for an official statement of the. position. Captain tliat, on boing 'iiiformed of tlio facts, he:-sent a ,telegram to, the officer;com- ; mandiiig the . Opunake Mquntod Rifles, informing -him of tho • position, and requesting , him; to take steps to ;r,eleaso the.horse. , No reply , had since been received, nor did Trooper,-Whittington report himself with re-card-to the matter; he had therefore -assumed that the horse .had been released, and ho was surprised to. hear that nothing had yet been done; instructions would : be given for tho horse to bo. released at once, and the amount charged to' the squadron 'concerned.' OBITUARY. - ;1 ; ———e— : ' , ... (BY TELEQRAPn.—rEISS ASSOCIATION.) - v . Auckland, May, 1. Mr. T. T. Masefield, ironfounder, died this morning. He had bden a.member of.tho City Council and Harbour Board, and contested Grey Lynn unsuccessfully, against tho present Minister for. * Mr. Masefield was born at Ellertnn Hall, Noivport, Shropshire, England, ,in 1842, and served an . apprenticeship as' aii engineer at the Goscote Ironworks, near Walsall, Staffordshire. In 1862 he camo to New 'Zealand in the ship Avalaiichb, and landed at Auckland, with the growth of which city ho ha 3 ever sinco been identified: Ho married Mis 3 Evans, a daughter of one of Auckland's earliest colonists. v . v . Dhristchurch, May 1., Flags at most of tho business places in Christclmrch were .flown at half-mast yesterday, as a mark of respect to the memory of the ' lato Mr. G. G. Stead. Numerous telegrams of sympathy, and expressing appreciation of tho worth of .tho, deceased gentleman,'wero received at tho ."Press office throughout tho day .from all .parts of .-'the Dominion. Tho messages include communications of con-1 dolence. from; the'chairmau* and directors and from tho manager of-tho Press Association, as ,well, as from newspaper proprietors' and staffs in difforent Now Zealand centres.' Tho profound respect felt for the'lato'Mr. Stead byall classes of the community was evidenced by tho lar£o and comsentativo attcndanco of citizens at his funeral, which took placo this afternoon. Thero were present representatives of the many important commercial enterprises witli,which the late :Mr. :Stead had been'so'intimately' connected, members of tho different sports'bodies and clubs to which he belonged, representatives of tho. different local bodies and other. 1 organisations with which ho had been associated directly or -indirectly, and a host of private friends from all parts of Now Zealand. Upon and around tho coffin were placed a multitude of,beautiful wreaths and floral . tributes, including soveral sont by Australian ■ and New Zealand Jockey Clubs. Quito a number of people had assembled direct" at tho 'cemetery, and there was a very largo con- ' courso -of mourners at tho. graveside,where [ the impressive burial service was conducted.