LATE MR. W. W. SMITH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13045, 10 April 1913, Page 3

LATE MR. W. W. SMITH.

♦ INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. .."He Avas a splendid soldier, Avonderfully plucky and cool," remarked' JMr R, Theiwall, Ayhen relating some interesting reminiscences m connection with the iate Mr "W". W. Smith's early residence m the Poverty Bay district. Mr Thehvall was • closely attached to the deceased gentle- • man from the time of his arrival m the district in' the early sixties. JMr Theiwall states that when Mr Smith first came to Gisborne ho brought a mob of . sheep through from Hawke's ;Bay for the late JMr W. Parker,, father of Mr F. Parker, manager; of the bank ;of New South Wales. He bought a pro!perty on the banks of th^ Te Arai river '.trom. Captain Ross, and he was living jtheie at the time of the massacre. JOn : more than one occasion the late Mr < Smith had narrow escapes during the troublous times. He was; related Mr Theiwall, at the Waerenga-a-hika fight iii 1866. ' The Maoris were entrenched , at. the Waerenga-a-hika pa, and the Europeans were entrenched at the MisJsion station. After they had been facing each- other for eight or nine days, it was found out that the Maoris weie getting water from a lagoon at the rear of their pa. A squad of about a dozen including Mr Smith and the late Mr Kempthorne,- was told off to try to cut off the water supply. They made their way round the back of the jMaoris' pa to the old river-bed behind ■ tbe* Waerenga-a-hika hotel. While they l^ere Jthere, seeking cover m a ditch, a company of about 200 Maoris came Irom Opotiki to join the natives at the pa. This troop suddenly came on the squad ' of soldiers, who had to scramble out pf the hole and fight their way through jthe 200 natives. Several of the troopers «tere killed or wounded, and about half a -dozen escaped. \ The men had to •cramble out of the ditch m single tile, ; and it was a well- known incident that i the late Mr Smith, who was one of the ' first out, shot one native, struck down another with the butt of his rifle, fought I his way through the enemy, and eventually reached the Mission station. Messrs Theiwall and Smith were comrades m the Poverty Bay Mounted Rifles, and they Avere on sentry at Whareongaonga when Te Kboti and his inert landed on the beach after their .escape from the Chatham Islands. The notorious Maori was intervieAved as to what his intentions were, and. he replied that he was going inland, and if An attempt was made to stop him he {tyould fight. An attempt was made, theresult that the first engagement took place at Paparatu. , J. Shortly .after that JMr Smith retired, and- lived *on his property at Te Arai. '•Cjn'; the night of the massacre Messrs Tmelwall, Smith, Parkhouse, C. Smale, vCnd £he Parker family were at tho la.tter's residence at Makaraka, Mr Smith na-vuig gone there to assist Mr W. J. Parker with shearing operations. Duriji£ the night they heard the first shot fired at Matawhero, and they got out of .the house m their sleeping attire, and %ip\ iii some manutka scrub a short dis*iaice from the house. The natives came Along and saw the house was empty, and •jreiit away. The escapees then returned^ crossed the Taruheru river, and came down the Whataupoko side to the re;jtc_J>t At Turansranui (Gisborne). Mr FJ>. Parker was then a small boy, and TvvTrftß carried most of the way by Mr Smith. ' : Some time after that Messrs Thehvall ithd Smith took) up a lease of the Patufalii" property. About three years later Mr -.Theiwall sold his interest to Mr fenuth. ,and the latter had resided there 'ttypir since. ,^^^_^^^^^