TRAGIC SEQUEL

Southland Times, Issue 21195, 23 September 1930, Page 7

TRAGIC SEQUEL

SHOOTING EXPEDITION YOUNG MEN’S HARROWING EXPERIENCE NIGHT WITH DYING COMPANION .(Special to the Times.) Geraldine, September 22. When Edward Johnston, aged 22 years, arrived at the residence of Mr S. Neutze, of Trip Settlement, shortly before 8 o’clock yesterday morning, he brought news of the tragic death of Mr George Constable, leader of a pig-shooting party which had set out the day before. He told of a harrowing experience in the snow-covered back country with a dying man. The deceased man is George Constable, aged 40 years, a married man, of Hilton, who leaves a wife and four children, and his companions were two young men, Masses Edward Johnston, of Hilton, and Thomas Watts,’ of Christchurch.

In an interview Wats, a nephew of the deceased, stated that the party who were camped in Neutze’s Gully, set off at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning on a pig-shooting expedition to Blue Mountain. Beautiful' weather favoured the progress of the trampers as they made their way over the barren hill faces at the back of Waihi Gorge and the best part of the day was spent in strenuous activity hunting the wild pigs. The weight of the capture was very considerable and the men found that it was no easy task, even for strong men, to drag heavy pigs over the steep slops and rocky gullies at the outskirts of Neutze’s and Nolan's runs. Although they struggled gamely one by one they found it necessary to leave behind their kill. Watts injured his leg and a short cut was attempted. Overtaken by Fog and Darkness. Familiar landmarks of the outbound track were no longer to be seen and the men were hopelessly lost in the fog and darkness which had overtaken them. They struggled on until it commenced to teem with rain and they attempted to set up a temporary camp for the night. It was bitterly cold and their matches were too wet to strike. Drenched to the skin, freezing with the cold and with not a dry stitch of clothing, they decided that it was better to tramp on. It had been snowing for some time and all were feeling the strain of the heavy going over desolate country in which they could' only see a few yards ahead of them. Constable expressed the ■ opinion that he could not carry on much further and numbed of limb the two younger men decided to seek the bare shelter of some shrubs till daybreak. They had not anticipated inclement weather and were attired in light tramping clothes only, this fact adding to their miserable condition. Constable’s Collapse. At 9.30 on Saturday night Constable collapsed and his companions sat with him until five o’clock on Sunday morning when ho passed away. - After feeling the pulse of the man they were leaving behind and satisfied that they could do nothing more, the two men set off for assistance. The deceased's dogs with a last look at their late master and without call trotted off after the younger men, a fact that decided them that they could no nothing further as the dogs were very attached to their late owner. Watts’ leg became bad and Johnston decided to push on. A telephone message was sent to Constable Callanan, who is stationed at Geraldine some ten miles away. Constable Callanan immediately organized search and stretcher parties to recover the deceased man. A band of willing helpers was soon organized and pne party led by Johnston set out from Mr S. Neutze’s home and another from the home of Mr R. P. Nolan, Waihi Gorge. In the meantime Watts, whose progress bad been slow owing to his leg giving him trouble, managed to reach .Mr Neutze’s home where he was given a hot bath and revived. The search party which left Mr J. P. Nolan's was lent three pack horses and after some hours of heavy going in desolate rain-swept country, the scene of the tragedy was reached and the deceased, man was found lying beneath a cliff on the Ben Hope hills on the outskirts of Nolan’s. The body was carried by stretc<r for nearly two miles and then transferred to the pack horses and brought to the Nolan’s homestead. Watts attributed Constable’s death to strain and exhaustion, blaming the heavy ■weight of the kill and the fog which caused them to lose their way for, the tragedy. At the inquest the evidence of the deceased’s companions showed that a terrible night had been spent 'with Constable who had become delirious and had had to be held down. When his companions became, exhausted they finally tied him to a tree. The Coroner’s verdict was that Constable died ■ of heart failure due to the effects of exposure and violent exertion on the heart which had already been weakened by previous disease when overtaken by fog and storm.