VETERAN OF MAORI WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 190, 16 July 1925, Page 4

VETERAN OF MAORI WAR.

LATE CAPTAIN J. R. RUSETON. The late Captain Rushton, who passed away last week at Opotiki, saw a. lot of service during 1 he troubles with the Maoris on the East Coast. At the siege of Pipiriki he was a sergeant, and ono evening, with Corporal David White, paddled across in a canoe to get a Haulmu sniper who had been troublesome. They draw his fire and returned ‘promptly, and that sniper troubled the troops no more. Sergeant Rushton also took part in a forced march to the. AVnimana Valley in search of Kereopa, the murderer of tho German missionary, Air Volkner. The party, loci by AViniata Pakoro, charged into the Alnori village, Te lvuwini, and had a very sharp skirmish. i Afterwards Sergeant Rushton resigned from the Rangers,'hut later he served as a volunteer during Colonel O’DonnelPs campaign in' Taranaki in 1860, and was in the fight at Te Punga rehu, where he had the stock of his carbine smashed by a musket ball.

Ensign llushton (he having got promotion) was in tho expedition to the Urewera Country after To Kooti in 1870, and acted as intelligence officer and scout at Opotiki. He went to Omarumutu, on the coast near the mouth of the Wai-au river, and found all the AYhakatohea tribe mustered. He managed to secure the guns of the Maoris, for. which work Sir Donald McLean gave him his captain’s commission. .. Sixty, of the tribe, allarmed, returned with. Captain Rushton to join the colonial forces. Captain Rushton took part in the last bush expedition after Te Kooti in 1872, which was such arduous work that many of,the Alaoris were lamed.