OBITUARY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXVIII, 21 June 1912, Page 5

OBITUARY.

MR. R. A. GRAY

Mr .11. A. Gray, Government auditor for Taranaki, was missed on Wednesday afternoon in New Plymouth, and as it was known that he was under medical treatment and thoroughly run down, a band of willing volunteers searched on Wednesday night, in the pouring rain along the beach, on Marsland Hill, and on the golf links, knowing that he used to frequent these places. The search was renewed on Thursday morning, and carried on until the afternoon, and the general opinion was that the kcrls' would be found in the sea at the foot of Paritutu, as an umbrella and part of a scarf had been found near the summit. Three of the party were lo>* ?red by ropes, and when within about jCi feet of the sea they came across the body of the deceased amongst some rocks. A stretcher was sent for. and the party waited until its arrival. The body was lowered down over the cliff and landed on the rocks at the base. Subsequently it was transferred to the stretcher. An angry sea was running, and the party, some ot whom had to stand nearly up to their waists in the water, had to wait until the tide receded. Death must have been instantaneous, as Mr Gray fell only 20 feet short of the total height^ of Paritutu, 504 feet. The left half of his skull was missing, his chest was crushed in, and his left arm was severely smashed. The deceased, who was 34 years old, leaves a widow and one child. A widowed mother resides at Palmerston South. Mr Gray joined The service at Wellington when quite a young man. In 1904 he was transferr£ll v V I. vmoutn > where he has since held the position of Government auditor for lAranaki. The deceased gentleman, vho was of a quiet and retiring disposition, was very popular with his fellows and the business community generally of Taranaki.-Abridged from the Daily News.