PUBLIC TRIBUTE

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1941, Page 5

PUBLIC TRIBUTE

Constable Best’s Funeral

Rarely has a police officer been paid a finer tribute than that paid to the late Constable E. M. Best of Kanieri, whose funeral took place at Hokitika Cemetery yesterday afternoon. People from every part ot Westland attended the services held at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Hokitika, the cortege being over a mile long. The Commissioner of Police (Mr D J. Cummings), with Inspector D. L. Calwell, Officer-in-Charge of thti Greymouth Police District, represented the Minister-in-Charge ot Police and the Force, while Senior Sergeant G. F. Bonisch, of Grey-mc-fith, was in charge of the large pafty iof uniformed Police present from all parts of the district and from other parts of New Zealand. OWing to their duties at the scene of the tragedy, other members of the Fdrce were unable to attend. Mr G. G. ’Chisholm, S.M., of Greymouth, alsb attended, accompanied by Mr Fnink Bird (Clerjc of the Court, Gnbymouth), whilst many members oF the legal profession were present. The members of the Police Force wfore their customary white gloves for the occasion. The pall-bearers iwere Constables A. A. Barnes (Cobden), A. Honey (Ahaura), O. L. Thomas and W. Roughan (Greyj mouth), S. E. Osborne (Otira) and /R. Walden (Blackball). The services were conducted by Rev. L. Hanna, who paid a tribute . ( to the late Constable, whose character was a Stirling one, and whose example, like that of his fallen comrades, would always remain a bright one. He also paid tribute to the Police Force generally and to the Home Guardsmen. The service concluded with the hymn “Abide With Me.” Guards of honour were formed by 200 members of the Home Guard and members of the Masonic fraternity. Mrs Best, with her parents and other members of the family, were next to the hearse. Then followed two lorry loads of floral tributes. Police Commissioner Cummings and Inspector Calwell were in the next car, and the Police Force. Hundreds more of the public followed on foot, and after them a

long line of cars, the procession was rounding the Cemetery Hill, as tne fast cTr entered Fitzherbert Street, while many people lined the r °ute. At Kanieri, school children from the two local schools and Woodstock schools formed a guard of honour whilst at Hokitika the Catholic school pupils were lined up m Sewell Street as the funeral procession passed through their ranks, the boys on one sid.e and the girls on the other. At the Scot Memorial Church, children from the State school vi ere also lined up as the procession moved by. Constable Best was a popular person with the children, and the tribute from the schools was a testimony to his interest in them. Rev. Hanna again officiated at the grave, while Rev. Childs (Anglican) read a prayer, and Wor. Bro. A. Couch read a Masonic service. Shops in Hokitika were closed during the funeral. Among many visitors present were the Mayor of *Greymouth (Mr F. A. Kitchingham), the Town Clerk (Mr F. H. Denton), and several Councillors; the Mayor of Hokitika (Mr G. A. Perrv), the Deputy-Mayor (Mr Elcock). the County Chairman (Mr T. P. O’Neil) and members of the County staff. Apologies were read from the Minister, Hon. P. C. Webb .and Mr J. O’Brien, M.P. Police Commissioner Cummings intimated that he had recevied messages from Bishop Brodie of Christchurch, Mr S. G. Holland (Leader of the Opposition), Mr J. Thorn, M.P. for Thames. A moving sight was when all the members of the Police Force present stood to attention at the grave and each saluted as he nassed it. Members of Masonic Lodges deposited sprigs of evergreen.

COMMISSIONER’S TRIBUTE.

In a moving oration at the graveside, the Commissioner of Police (Mr D. J. Cummings) paid a very fine tribute to the deceased, and other members of the Force who have died at Koiterangi. Mr Cummings sa id:—“Beside the grave of our fallen comrade, I wish to express mv very deep regret and that of all officers and comrades for his untimely and painful death, and I tender to his widow and relatives our most sincere sympathy. I also wish to tender to the widow and child of Sergeant Wm. Cooper, to the parents and relatives of Constable Percy Tulloch, and Constable Frederick Jordan and the wives and children of Home Guardsmen Gregory Hutchison and R. J. M"axton Coulson, their parents and all near relatives, our heartfelt sympathy. In paying this tribute J to the six heroes who have fallen victims to a cruel and merciless murder, I wish to associate w'th us in extending our sympathy to the bereaved ones, as well as to the people of the district, the names of the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. Peter Fraser), and the Hon. P. C. Webb (both of whom have been the M’nisterial Head of the Police Department) ; Ministers of the Crown, and the Member for the District (Mr Jas. O’Brien), all who are horrified at the unprecedented extent of the fatal blow which has fallen upon us, and the whole district. I have received messages of symnVhy from the Leader of the Opposition <Mr S. Holland, M.P.), Mr Jas. Thorn..M.P. for Thames and Bishop Brodie, of Christchurch, nad others who c.m ey their heartfo’t sympathy to the widows, children, parents and relatives of all the deceased. “Yesterday we stood here to witness the burial of two Home Guardsmen, who fell victims to the same person as did Constable Best. The lips of the open grave beside which we now stand proclaim to the world the real nature of our vocation. We are banded together to preserve for civilisation the priceless boon of peace, and to maintain the conditions that promote it. The work of the police officer, from time immemorial, has been known to the law as that of the peace officer; and, in trying to make peace in certain circumstances last week, we lost four of our loved and esteemed comrades, and of two other comrades that came to assist us in the attempt to arrest the culprit responsible for the untimely deaths of six brave, courageous men, who took their lives in their hands. “Our Constables are, at all times, in the line of battle —ready, always, to risk their lives in the execution of the duty which they have sworn to perform faithfully, according to their oath of office and the law of the land. They may meet unexpected conditions at any moment, an unprepared encounter with a person with an obsession; or a person with an impaired mind, who has in his possession a loaded firearm, and intent on using it. At all times, the police officer literally carries his life in his hands. Our dead comrade here is a witness of the truth of what I say I He is the last of a long list of men of our force who have laid down their lives in the execution of duty in answer to a request for protection. I wish I could adequately express my feelings on this very solemn occasion.

“And now to my officers and men I say, from this graveside: You return to your duties with your vocation exalted by the conduct and death of our comrades. We leave him here. Peace to his ashes! Eternal bliss to his brave spirit and to the five other fallen comrades who fell victims to the hand of the same person ! I also wish to pay tribute to the bravery of Mr G. S. Ridley, who came to the assistance of our comrades on that fatal dav, and who was also seriously injured by rifle bullets. He now lies in hospital, where he. is doing as well as can be expected under the skilful medical attention and nursing of Westland Hospital. And finally, to our fallen comrade: ‘Farewell, until the Day breaks, and the Shadows fall away !’ ”

LATE MR R. J. M. COULSON A testimony tc the esteem in which the late Mr R. J. M. Coulson, one of those to sacrifice their lives a't Koiterangi in the cause of law and order last Wednesday was the wealth of floral tributes in evidence on Sunday at his funeral, from the follows: — The Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown; The Commissioner or Police and Members of the Police Department; Greymouth District Police; Christchurch Police Force: Kanieri, Rimu, Woodstock Home Guard; Worshipful Master, Officers and Brethren of Lodge Westland Kilwinning and Worshipful Master, Officers and Brethren of Pacific Lodge; St. Andrew’s College Old Boys’ Assn and J. K. Wellsford; Mayor and Councilors of Temuka; Westland Law Society; Telephone Exchange Staff; Hokitika Drama Circle; Dentists of Greymouth; Excelsior Football Club; Staff National Mortgage Coy.; Kanieri Sawmills Employees; Staff Westland Dairy Coy.; Directors of Air Travel Ltd.; Joan and Neil Macfarlane; Eddie and Ruth J'ones; Harcourt Family; Miss'Empson; Jack, Edie and Family; Renton Family: Mrs Diedrichs and Family; Bill Williamson; Elsie Robinson; George Kennedy; Mr and Mrs Leo Stopforth; Lorna and Fred; Phil and M. Meaclem; Mr and Mrs Frank Lewis and Family; Miss E. Walker; Mrs Delbridge’; Betty, Onne, Sue, George and Ruth; Mr and Mrs Joseph McLean; Sandy, Fred Lynch; Mr and Mrs WEastgate; Mrs S. Bennett; Mr and Mrs M. Houston senr.; Mr and Mrs L. Gasson; Auntie Idie and Family; Mr and Mrs Elcock and Family; Mr and Mrs J. R. Taylor; Cis and Kura Gibson (Wellington); Mr and Mrs B. Dowell and Mrs Heppell; Woolhouse Family; Dr and Mrs Wilson; Mrs Michel; Les and Joe; Grannie; Pearl and Bill; Mr and Mrs Ron Ross; Mr and Mrs Buckland; Mavis and Cliff;

Coral; Dad; Mr and Mrs J'. Shaw; Cecil and Phyllis Preston; Mr A. Chesney; Mrs S. Michel; Mr and Mrs Dick Thomas and the Boys;-Mr and Mrs L. Eager; Olive, Jack and John (Levin); Mr and Mrs C. H. Guthrey. Mrs Annie Wilson; Mr and Mrs E. J. Lloyd; Auntie Tui, Frances and Betty (Wellington); Mr and Mrs Cropper; Mr and Mrs Freitas; the Rea Family, Rona Stan, June, J’phn (Nelson), Rosa’and Frank Knight (Wellington); Auntie Gwen (Wellington,/, Dorothy and Selwyn; Jini and Lew; D. and H. Butland and Family; E. Knight and Family; Mary Netta and Families; Uncle Tom and Aunne Nell; Mrs Dudley Bagot; Nora and Josephine Enright; Alice Appleton; Mr and Mrs D. Conning and family.