SMALL BOY’S EXPERIENCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 November 1924, Page 5

SMALL BOY’S EXPERIENCE.

SEARCH PARTIES OUT. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. GISBORNE, Nov. 6. To be missing for about thirty-one hours, to have a big army of searchers out patrolling the district, and then to be found securely caught in the roof of a fowl-liouse two hundred yards from his home, was the remarkable, experience that befell an eleven-year-old schoolboy named Robert Hadwen, the son of Captain Hadwen, of the tug Tawera. The. family live at Mangapapa, a suburb of Gisborne, on a property adjacent to the Cook Hospital, and the parents supply eggs from their poultry farm to that institution. Gaining access by means of a path at. the end of their property yesterday morning, Robert Hadwen, his elder brother and a sister set out for school, taking the usual basket of eggs to leave at the institution, Robert Hadwen carrying the eggs about half-way to the institution. His elder brother then sent Robert back to get his (Robert’s) overcoat. as the weather was showery.

Robert went back, and his elder brother and his sister went on to school. Somewhat to their surprise Robert did not turn up at school, and on their arrival home about 3.30 p.m. the girl asked what was wrong. The mother made inquiries and communicated with the police. Soon several parties were out scouring the district. Last night heavy rain fell, but despite the weather conditions the parties continued the search, but with no success. Others replaced the voluntary helpers this morning, and a party of school lads from the Mangapapa school were taken out by the headmaster. Shortly after one o’clock the mother saw the boy’s uncle (Mr. George Brown) returning towards the house with the lad on his back. The uncle stated that lie saw a clump of manuka trees in one of the fowl runs, which lie in a gully and are covered with manuka scrub to keep the sun and rain from the birds. To the uncle’s surprise be found Robert banging downwards with his bead and chest in the fowl run, his head being some twelve feet above the ground. Tlie boy s lips were black and swollen, bealmost double their usual size. From a few words gathered from the lad some hours later, it appeal’s that ram came on and he went to take shelter at the end of the fowl run behind a tree, but slipped on top of the fowl yard and was firmly caught. The fowls were led in the fowl-house some few yards away last night, and this morning be could just see the fowls being fed and could hear voices calling, but could neither make any movement nor speak.

The lad is now suffering from exposure and cannot talk,; more than a few words, but his condition is not conside’ed serious.