AFTER THE MASSACRE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 5 (Supplement)

AFTER THE MASSACRE

WORK OF THE ARMED CONSTABULARY.

MR. J. WALSH TELLS OF HIS EXPERIENCES.

AVhite sand, little grass and much ti-tree were the most prominent fear turns of Gisborne's landscape some fifty-six years ago, according to Mr John Walsh, of Mangapapa, who first viewed the town at that stage of its existence.

A PECULIAR PLACE.

Mr Walsh was horn in Newtown, Cgunty Cork, Ireland, eighty.three iSyears ago, and, at the very early ago of eleven, joined a man-o’-war. He saw service in the Chinese War of that period but, shortly after this, left the Navy. His parents, in the meantime, had settled in Canada and he j/bined them there. After a short period, he again took up the sea-far-ing life and joined on with a merchantman sailing for the then littleknown land of New Zealand. Sixty, four years ago, this vessel touched at Port Chalmers and Mr Walsh,

leaving her, once more adopted a life on land. For a time he lived in Otago, hut then came north to iaranaki, where he joined the 2nd Forest Rangers and saw some service against the Maoris. Coming t o Tanpo, in this district, lie changed from the Rangers to thei Armed Constabulary and, in 1871, was allocated for dutv in Gisborne. Since then, for this'period of fifty-six years, Mr Walsh has resided! in and about.Gisborne. In 1881, he left the A.C. and took up land out near Matawhero. “Gis Erne was a peculiar place then,” said Mr Walsh, in chatting of those old days, “and it really is marvellous when one considers all the changes that have taken place. 1 remember the time well when the present site of the Government buildings was simply a large clump oi very high,ti-tree. Right along by t he" British Empire Hotel the; scrub stretched and the major portion of the town was lmjde up of houses peeping from among patches of the growth. CHASING PHANTOMS.

“When T came here in 187 L I did Armed Constabulary duty. There were only one or two civilian police in the whole district. The old A.C. did most of the work of this nature. Wo were always ready for a dash out into the country after any natives"\vho threatened to become troublesome, but. during my time, wo never actually came to grips with them—they know the country too well. It was disheartening work, for we would be out for two or three days, with only such food as we could pick r.p en route, and wo always seemed to he chasing phantoms. In those days we had no modern conveniences such as ration parties and field hospitals to follow us. Wo picked up such grub as we could and when a man fell, generally speaking, be lay there, for most fights were of a running nature, i nd the unwounded men had to carry on the t-lias© and hope to pick up their wounded comrades later when time permitted. The male residents of the town were all members of the Militia and paraded one day every month or so. at Ormond, whero they were drilled and instructed in various points of service work/ These parades were compulsory and each man was paid 4/- or 5/- a day to compensate for his loss of working time. It was considered' a very serious crime to he absent from a parade, except through sickness.

TOWN’S LAST LINE OF DEFENCE $ “As a last line of defence, should the town ever he-over-run Ijy natives, wo had nil old block-house on the site of the present police station. This was of wood, with the lower par strongly fortified by sand-hags and freely loop-holed. It would have been a hard propositon for anv hand of natives to tackle. From the block-house, a trench communicated tho old court house situated on Adair Bros.’ site—apparently intended as an outlet for the defenders who could use it and then fall on te attackers in a surprise- attack from the rear. This court-house,'-bv the way, was Inter shifted on to Mr Townley’s property in Gladstone Road and was pulled down only a short while ago.

FIGHTING MAD NGATIPOROUS.

“f dime after most of the Maori trouble had finished,” said' Mr Walsh in conclusion, ‘‘but I remember one little experience of my police duty in the town. The people were very law-abiding, as the laws went in those days, lout, when the Ngatijjorous came down to 'sell grass-seed, there was usually excitement. A lot of grass was growing on the flats nl>out Patiitnhi and Talninga in those •days and the' natives used to make a good thing out of gathering and ■selling it in town. Twenty-one of •flip Ngatiporous came in one day until a. big stock of seed, disposed of it well, and then-started out to drink up the proceeds ns fast as they ■could. By evening, every man-jack of them was fighting mad and things became very serious. I was the only policeman on hand and so I gathered up imtv passers-by and went along to see aliout quietening them. Talk was useless, so we separated l them as best we could and took them in batches along to the lock-up—only a small cell. I'v the tinm the last of them was pricked in this cell was a solid mass of swearing, fighting Maoris on the verge of delirium. Gradually they quietened down, as the strong liquor took effect, nnd they fell into a drunken sleep. Next morning one of the sorriest bunches of men I have ever seen appeared 'before the J.P. and •"•or© severely admonished, before liein" escorted out of town and sent, trlroir wav -in peace.”