ESCAPE OF HAUHAU PRISONERS FROM THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Marlborough Press, Volume IX, Issue 607, 2 September 1868, Page 3

ESCAPE OF HAUHAU PRISONERS FROM THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

(From the Wellington Independent August 15.) The story of the escape of the Ilauhau prisoners from the Chatham islands is now complete in almost all its details. The account irivcn by the chief mate of the Rifleman, which we recently published, told us how the Ilauhaus boarded" his vessel and compelled him to convey them to Poverty Bay. We are now ab,e to give an account of what occurred on the island. , , , . One Mr llenrv Kerr, who had previously, been a resident in ‘the Chatham Islands tor 12 months, was a passenger f o Wellington by the Storm Bird, and has told us the whole story of the origin, execution, and end of the outbreak. Mr Kerr’s story is exceedingly simple: the facts connected with it clear and indisputable. Moreover his statements, when compared with those of other persons who were on the Island at the time are fully corroborated. Now let us in brief shape, state what Mr Kerr tells us about this affair. Our readers already know that the rising took place on the 4th of July, and that the ilauhaus having hoarded and seized the schooner Rifleman managed to reach New Zealand by her. But while, as has been already told the mate of the Rifleman saw Maoris runnin<r about on shore in a state of furious excitement and was immediately thereafter boarded by an overwhelming force, he could not give the details of the events which had happened. Wc shall now do so, but to make our story clear, let us say a word as to the natural features of the place. At the Wharukauvi landing place, there is a stretch of beach hacked by a hill. On the beach is the Court .house, Lock-up and Custom House, together with the houses of the settlers. On the top of the hill is situated the redoubt, occupied by the guard, which contains their whares , sleeping rooms anil the magazine. When tlic military guard occupied this redoubt, it was guarded in.[ reality, two sentinels being constantly stationed on the walls, wnieh had a.j outside ditch ; hut after Mr Rollcston’s visit, the aforesaid guard was dismissed and eleven of their uumher retained under the title of Armed Constabulary. Discipline became lax, and no real precautions whatever were taken to guard against a sudden rising of the Ilauhaus. Two sentinels lounged leisurely about without rifles and ’only armed with bayonets. Sometimes tiie .sentinel t>» >k a stroll and dropped into the public house or Hie blacksmith's shop for asmoke, while the rest of the-famous eleven disported themselves at their sweet will. One or two of the guard, indeed, being married men, resided some distance from the redoubt, and of course would have been useless in the event of a rising of those so-called prisoner.--. Captain Thomas, who was Commander of the Guard, Postmaster, Collector of Customs, Resident Magistrate", and Resident Clergyman,—because, good easy man, lie regularly celebrated divine service to his white and copper-colored brethren—appears, amidst the pressure of his many and onerous duties to have allowed the chosen eleven and their prisoners to do pretty much us they pleased, lie hail faith in the Ilauhaus and implicitly believed that they were the most harmless and pacific of people. He scouted the very suggestion that they would ever think of rising against their keepers,-and poohpoohed all arguments to the contrary. Io all warnings he turned a deaf car. So far back as the Lit of April, Mr Thomas Ritchie, a justice of (he peace in the Island, received 14lormation from one or more of the Ilauhaus, who betrayed the confidence of theircompatiiois, that a rising was contemplated ; that they intended awaiting the arrival of the first vessel to overpower their guard and escape by it. - Hus important information Mr Ritchie embodied in a letter to the Mon. Mr Stafford. which lie shewed to Cap'ain Thomas before despatching. Captain Idiom is, however, was incredulous, and by the same mail wrote to the Government to the ell' et that Mr llitchk-’s nppreheno.lons wt:»* entirely el.imerml; SO, in the cud, that gentleman took nothing by his motion, as the Government simply acknowledged the receipt of his letter, and asserted that they were in possession of information which showed that his assertions u.m no foundation. This was warning (he first, hut a second one was to follow. Six or seven weeks afterwards, about the end of May, Ser-geant-Major Fimiimore on getting out of hoi one morning, found a notice affixed to the door of iiis wliare, to the effect that the Ilauhaus were about to rise.. Still Captain Thomas was

incredulous. Then, later still, two of tiip prisoners went to Captain Thomas and told him of the contemplated - rising, but that sceptical officer would not listen to them. We are utterly at a loss to account for the conduct of Captain Thomas at this critical juncture. Twenty stand of arms had been sent down by the Government for distribution amongst the European settlers, hut; lie, in the exercise of his discretion, kept them safely locked up. With the .pigheaded obstinacy with sometimes characterises little men in power, he held to his one idea and did nothing. He wouldn’t arm the settlers -, lie wouldn't put the guard on thealert ; he woul'n t take even tiie most ordinary precautions wl ieli prudence suggested. Wrapped in fan ied security and sublimely confident in his own opinion, he calmly pursued the even tenor of his official way. But- the storm slowlv gatlieied, and ere long burst. The Haul mu conspiracy has assumed apractical shape ; the plans were laid, and the men selected to carry them out. The Hauhaus had a prophet, and liis name was Te Kooti. This prophet found favor in the eyes of Captain Thomas, and was allotted a wliare close outside the redoubt where he and his wife lived. The prophet used to carry in firewood to the redoubt and thus became acquainted with all its interior arrangements. This information was communicated to his Ilauhau friends, and they laid their plans accordingly. On the 4th of July the time for action came. No guard being kept, the prophet contrived at about three o’clock that day to place three men in the sentry box inside the redoubt. Their special duty was to force open the magazine ami secure the ammunition. The prophet, to enable them to do so, obtained an iron pricker used for the.fires, from the guard’s wliare, and handed it to them. Meantime a large number of Maoris had flocked into the redoubt, and so lax was the state of discipline, that no particular notice appears to have been taken of this circumstance. Only five of the guard were in the redoubt, and two of them were engaged at the time in making up their little monthly' accounts, wholly unconscious of what impended. Constable Harnett was one of those men Suddenly, quick. as thought, (i Ilauhau sprung at him and seized him by the shoulder. Harnett jerked himself anil struck at his assailant, who, instantly recovering, swifhg through the air a tomahawk, and buried it deep between Harnett’s eyes. Again tiie tomahawk was raised, again jt descended, and this time a second terrific cut was inflicted straight across the nose and face. Poor Harnett fell and in a few minutes was dead. The blow of the tomahawk was the signal for the rising. Just as it fell, a host of Hauhaus rusiicd on the five men of tiie guard, and bound tlicrn hand and foot with flax.. Simultaneously the magazine was forced open the ammunition seized, and the rifles taken from the racks. In the meantime, five or six parties of the Hauhaus outside had not been idle. One party seized all such stray members of the guard as were walking about tin tiie beach, and having . securely hound them, conveyed them to the redoubt, Another party visited the house of Captain Thomas, took his carbine, sword and other articles of value. A third party visited the houses of the settlers, and compelled them to deliver up all arms and valuables, while they securely tied up every male Europenn in the place, with three exceptions. In the management of this affair the tact and .finesse of the Maoris were conspicuous. Just before the beginning of the outbreak, two of Hie guard and Sergeant Elliot were standing outside the redoubt. Up* went a Maori to Sergeant Elliot and confidentially told him - that Captain Thomas wanted to see him down at the Court House. Similar representations induced the other two men to depart upon a similar errand, and thus the field was left'clear, the only men to deal with being the five ,in the redoubt. Having easily secured these as before described, the rest were afterwards readily captured ifi detail. Sergeant Elliot found Captain Thomas did not want him, so lie returned towards the redoubt, and was wantonly fired at three times before being secured, one bullet striking the lieel of his boot. The other two'men who had gone on fool’s errand, were captured and bound 011 the beach when about to return. Surprised by the visits of those men, Captain Thomas walked up the bill to the redoubt, to ascertain why they had come when he hadn’t sent for them. _He very soon found out. On reaching the wliare, he saw the Hauhaus, armed with rifles, no guard to be seen, and everything in.confusion. Scarcely had lie asked what all this meant when he was overpowered and bound like the rest. It is stated to us that the horror of his position then forced itself upon his mind. He shrieked for mercy-, and Implored that he should be allowed to see his wife and children once more, thinking that death was certain. The Ilauhaus, however, were merciful. They loosened his cords, and having put handcuffs on instead, forced him to go to the Custom House and give up the key of the safe from which they took a sum of X’coo. Then the Rifleman was boarded, and the Hauhaus got clear off. There are some incidents in this affair deserve notice. Mr Beamish, an ex-captain in Her Majesty’s service, who was a storekeeper there, fought pluckily, and being a powerful man and an excellent amateur pugilist, floored tiie Uaiiliaus right and left, till he had to succumb to overwhelming numbers. -Mr CUu'lleigh, a sheep farmer, the Ilauhaus nearly hanged. A rope was put round his neck, and he only saved himself by putting his hand between the noose and his throat, holding the fingers with his set teeth until they' were nearly' bitten through. Ultimately, the Hauhaus relented, and he, too, like the rest, was tied up. Such is the narrative of this affair, which could never have occurred had the Government taken such precautions as common prudence would suggest, to guard the prisoners. From first to last the whole affair has been on pieceeol gross mismanagement. To send down eleven men to guard l-0 lighting Hauhaus, was to exnose the former to the risk of sudden massacre whenever the latter chose to revolt. And not only was this the case, but every European settler in the Island was rendered liable to the same fate. AVe cannot acquit the Government of having evinced the most utter indifference to the lives of the colonists in their proceedings, and they may thank Heaven, that it was only through the generosity of the Ilauhaus, that every white fnau, woman and child in the Island was not murdered. ’ That such a terrible tragedy did not occur was no fault of the Ministry, who took the best possible means to secure its perpetration.