HOW WAKINS OF THE CURACOA WAS KILLED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8980, 18 February 1888, Page 5

HOW WAKINS OF THE CURACOA WAS KILLED.

" One Who Was There" writes: — In your issue of tho 15th instant, under the heading Calliope Dock, there appears a paragraph entitled, ' Auckland and the Royal Navy,' in which there is an account of the death of Mr. Watkins, of tho Cumc;oa, at Rangiriri. Will you kindly allow me to state that the writer seems to have been misinformed as to this ; and perhaps an account of how it really happened may interest some. It was this way : At tho attack on Rangiriri, on '20th November, tSGH, scaling ladders wero carried down to tho enemy's work, but were found to be of no use as they were too short. They were made in three sections, each fitting into the other ; I do not remember the exact length, but however no one ascended by them, as they were too short. The width of the ditch was eight feet, thickness of parapet tho same, and height from bottom of ditch to top of parapet, 21 feet. I am speaking of the square redoubt, tho only place held by the natives in forco after the first rush. The two companies of tho 14th Foot (all of the regiment that were there) charged down the hill in tho rear of tho Goth Regiment, a company of whom carricd the scaling ladders, under Lieutenant Toker, Captain Strang's Company (No. 7), and Captain Phelps' (No. 9), both of tho 14th. Finding they could not get into the (square redoubt, on which they had advanced, they lay down in the scrub and commenced firing on the defenders as they showed themselves, and Privates McCrory and Evans were hore shot through the head, Captain Phelps mortally wounded, and Others killed and wounded. These companies took shelter in the ditch, seeing they could do no good by exposing themselves. After somo time had elapsed, the Naval Brigade formed up in front of the work and tried to escalade, but not being able, also took shelter in tho ditch. A little after this Mr. Watkins passed the 14th men and went along the ditch till he came to where there was a small rifle pit, which was cut outside one of the angles of the redoubt. This pit doubled back on itself, as it might be, on the other side of the angle. Mr. Watkins raised himself to look over, when a Maori who was on watch on the other side of the angle fired both barrels, and one bullet hit poor Watkins straight in the centre of the drooping peak of his uniform cap, of course killing him instantly. A soldier of the 11th Regiment, thinking the Maori would stop to load, stepped up to tho anglo and waited. Presently the Maori showed himself, his bushy head of hair being stuck full of black and white feathers, whereupon tho soldier shot him dead." We all felt the more sorry for poor Watkins, on account of his youth, as he was but a boy of 15 years or thereabouts.