SHOOTING VICTIM

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24536, 19 March 1943, Page 2

SHOOTING VICTIM

DEATH OF MR. G. RIDLEY GRAHAM MANHUNT RECALLED (P.A.) GREYMOUTH, Thursday The death occurred at the Hokitika Hospital this afternoon of Mr. George Saekville Ridley, aged 54, agricultural inspector of the Education Department. He was the sixth and only surviving victim of the Koiterangi shootings by Stanley Graham in October, 1941. He leaves a wife, one daughter and one son, Lieutenant Ridley, now serving overseas. With the exception of five weeks in Christchurch last Christmas, Mr. Ridley had been in hospital since the shootings. In the opinion of Dr. R. F. Aitken, the medical superintendent, death was indirectly due to his wounds. Mr. Ridley was able to get about and was progressing well until five weeks ago, when lie had a relapse. The death of Mr. Ridley recalls the shootings at a farm at Koiterangi, 12 miles from Hokitika, in October, 1941, as a result of which a police sergeant, three constables and two Homo Guardsmen were killed and Mr. Ridley wounded when ho went to tho assistance of tho police. The sergeant was shot while walking from tho gate to the house and the constables in a passage of the house itself. The shooting was done by the farmer occupier of the house, Stanley Graham, who was known to be an expert rifle shot. After the policemen were shot Graham took to tho bush. The following night two members of the local Home Guard were shot while keeping watch on Graham's house, awaiting the return of the fugitive. One of the victims died shortly after being shot and the other died in hospital in the afternoon. _ The hunt in the bush for Graham continued for 12 days, police, soldiers and members of the Home Guard taking part, and it came to an end when Graham was seen, by policemen on t.he lower slopes of Mount Doughboy, about three miles at the back of his house. Graham walked into an ambush and was shot by a constable and captured, to die in hospital the following morning. It was then learned that he had "been wounded twice previously.