A SENSATION AT WHANGAMOMONA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7374, 28 January 1902, Page 2

A SENSATION AT WHANGAMOMONA.

DEATH OF A SETTLER.

ALLEGED TO BE THE RESULT OF A BRAWL.

News was received in town on Saturday afternoon (says the Stratford Settler) of the sensational death of a settler named Joseph Hewitt.

It is said the deceased attended a banquet in the Whangamomona Schoolroom on the evening of Thursday, 23rd inst. Deceased, with S. M. Scott, William Joyce, and another remained in the Schoolroom until 4 a.m. on Friday morning, after all the others had left. A squabble arose by Joyce complaining that Hewitt had beem talking about him. Hewitt replied that all he had said of Joyce was true, and with that they closed and started to struggle, Hewitt being thrown down. He regained his feet, and tbe two agreed to go outside and fight it out. When they reached the door they again closed and fought, Hewitt receiving a blow on the face. Shortly after receiving the blow he became unconscious, and remained so for about half-an-hour. On recovering he was put to bed at the schoolhouse. During Friday he waa up and about, but complained of pains in the stomach. Some time on Friday night he got out of bed, and left the place without anyone seeing him, and he was not seen again until found on Saturday morning lying in an un» ' conscious condition by a swamp in the vicinity of the schoolgrounds. The doctor was sent for, but deceased never regained consciousness.