A HERO'S DEATH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 143, 9 August 1911, Page 8

A HERO'S DEATH.

ACTION AT OMATA RECALLED. A cablegram from London says that Dudley Stagpoole, who won the \ i '- tori a. Cross in Now Zealand in 1X0,5, died in tlio Ware workhouse. The action in which Drumnic." Dudley Stagpoole won the "Victoria Cio-s took place at Omata on October 2nd, 180:5. On tlyit day from 000 to 000 rebel Maoris attacked the i’outoko Redoubt with great determination; the redoubt was commanded oy Captain Wright, 70th Regiment. Immediately on receipt of the news Colonel Warre, G. 15., dispatched Major Butler, with 80 men ot the 57 th Regiment, to the scene of action, Colonel Warre and Ins staff following. Captain Shortt, with 9 f men and two companies of Bushrangers, followed immediately after. Stagpoole was in Captain Shortt’s party. By Colonel Warre’s orders, Captain Shortt advanced on the redoubt by the hush road near Tenet’s house.

fu Ids report on the action, the captain said: “Shortly alter wo haul turned down this road, I heard firing on my right in the direction of Poutoko. lat once strengthened my advance guard, and pushed on as rapidly as 1 could, and became engaged with the enemy near Tenet's house. The natives immediately retreated to biro hush, and opened lire upon my party from all directions. Leaving a reserve on Allen’s Hill to protect my rear, 1 advanced towards the bush, but being met with a tremendous fire, I got the men under cover behind logs, etc., and endeavoured to keep down the lire of the enemy. 1 then charged the bush, but perceiving that it was occupied by a very largo body of natives I desisted, and got my men again under cover, and remained at this spot until 1 received orders from Colonel Wane to retire gradually; which I did, occupying Allen’s Hill with the whole of my party, and wo then retired in good order to Pontoko. “I bog to bring to your notice the excellent conduct of the two officers with me—-Ensigns Douglass and Down. The latter officer volunteered and with four men brought in tlio body of a wounded man under a very heavy fire. Drummer Dudley Stagpoolc I would wish also to recommend most favourably to your notice; for, although wounded in the head, lie twice volunteered and brought in wounded men. 1 cannot, indeed, speak too highly of the conduct of all my men; notwithstanding the superiority of the enemy in numbers, and the exceedingly heavy fire with which we were assailed, they were cool and collected and obedient to orders, which enabled me to retire with such slight loss and in good order, in the face of a very large body of natives, who lined the whole belt of bush to my front.” In his dispatch to Lieutenant-Gen-eral Cameron, Colonel Warre spoke of Stagpoole’s gallantry in the following terms’: “1 should wish to bring especially to the notice of the Licnt.Gcneral Commanding tlio noble conduct of Ensign Down, 57th Regiment, and Drummer Dudley Stagpoole, who, under a tremendous fire from natives not forty yards from them, brought away wounded men at the risk of their own lives, their efforts being ably seconded by .Private Antonio Rodrigues, a mounted orderly of the Taranaki Militia, who carried two men off the field on his horse, and galloped through a party of rebel Maoris to take my orders to Captain Shortt.”