DEATH OF CAPTAIN W. E. THOMAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8683, 28 September 1891, Page 5

DEATH OF CAPTAIN W. E. THOMAS.

Tub announcement that. Captain William Eadaile Thomas, a well-known resident in

Auckland for many years; had died some-

what suddenly at his residence, Parnell, at an early hour on Saturday morning, caused a painful feeling throughout tho city, and more especially amongst tho mercantile and

shipping circles with whom he had been in business rotations. Although Captain Thomas's-health has been failing for some time past, more especially duriti? tho last fortnight, none of his 'friends anticipated any immediate danger, and the announcement of his death caused quite a shook. A fortnight ago to-day, while Captain Thomas was walking in from Remuera in the evening, he was seized with a euddon faintness, and fell near St. Mary's Church. He was at once carried into Dr. Maokellar's house, close by, and was treated and sent homeland since then up to the

time of his death he has been treated by

Dr. Mackellar for the disease to which he subsequently succumbed, namely, fatty degeneration of tho heart, although ho was not confincd to bed. A renewal of the attack occurred at about half-past twelve o'clock on Saturday morning, and Dr. Mackellar was sent for, but before he arrived the heart's action had-.ceased, and it only remained to pronounce life extinct. At the time of his death Captain Thomas was 65 years of age, and ho leaves a widow and two sons and two daughters to mourn their loss. One of tho sons »is at present in Melbourne, and tho other is chief clerk in the office of the Supreme Court, Wellington. One daughter is at present residing in Gisborne ana the other in the Waikato, but a telegram was sent to the latter, and she came homo on Saturday by train. Captain Thomas was best known to Auckland residents as chief clerk in the Customs Department, and subsequently as shipping and commission agent, a business on which ho entered when he severed his connection with the Customs Department. He also took a keen interest in religious matters, more especially with St. Mary's Church, Parnell. He served for two years on the vestry of St. Mary's parish, and was subsequently for four years minister's churchwarden, a position which his death now leaves vacant. He also took considerable

interest in local municipal matters, and was for two years a member of the Parnell Borough Council, and since his resignation he has acted as returning officer for the borough. Peaceful and unostentatious as has been the more recent career of Captain Thomas as a private citizen, his former life was eventful and in some respects intimately connected with some of the darker pages of New Zealand history. He was born in Tooting, Surrey, England. Ho came to New Zealand in 1537, having previously served as an officer in tho 26th Regiment (the Camoronians), and as captain in the -nd Cheshire, In JSCS he was appointed Resident Magistrate of the Chatham Islands by the Nutivo Minister, Captain Russell, the Government then contemplating deporting a number of Maori rebel prisoners to those islands under his charge. Captain Thomas stipulated that a sufficient guard should be provided, and that it should be increased as oxtra prisoners were sent. The first batch consisted of 43 prisoners, together with their wives and children, 'J."> more, and the guard consisted of 26 strong under Lieutenant Tuke. Another batch of 87 was sent shortly afterward, and subsequently a third batch, including the notorious Te Kooti. This made a total of 273 on the 10th of June, 1866, and instead of the guard being increased as Captain Thomas expected he received orders to send back the whole of the guard except a corporal and three privates. Another batch of prisoners was subsequently sent under a guard of two officers and twenty men, ten of whom were natives. The overpowering of the guard, the seizure of the schooner Rifleman, the return of the rebels to the East Coast, the atrocities and murders committed on the white settlers at Poverty Bay, which caused the name of Te Kooti to be execrated throughout the length and breadth of the civilised world, are now matters of history. That dark page of New Zealand history would never have been written had the

Government ot the • day kept faith with Captain Thomas and supplied a guard sufficient to control the prisoners. After the escape of the prisoners, Captain Thomas remained for some time in the Chatham Islands in the dual capacity of Resident Magistrate and Government Resident, and on his return to New Zealand he obtained an appointment in the Customs Department at Napier; and, after serving there for some time, he was transferred to Auckland as chief Clerk. He retired from the service in June, 1887, on his pension, and, as already stated, entered into business 011 his own account.

The funeral of the deceased gentleman will leave his lato residence at half-past two to-day for St. Mary's Church.