“TRANAKI JIM.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 11, 29 August 1911, Page 5

“TRANAKI JIM.”

SOME MORE PARTICULARS

Some .doubt having been raised as to the actual place where tho Maori known as “Taranaki Jim“ or “Big Jim,” was killed and buried, Mr. Thomas,Kyle, lato No. 6 Division A.C. Force, writes to Captain Black, Sec.retary of* the Now Plymouth Veterans’ Association, clearing away the doubt. He says:— rt lt was stated in the Taranaki ‘Herald’ that Taranaki Jim was killed in Hawke’s Bay, and another report said that it was ir. the Uriwera Country. I shall now f’ve you the real facts of case, as know, being there, I was in No. 6 Division A.C. Force, under Colonel Roberts (then Major). Mr. Wallace, in the Hawera ‘Star,’ writes of 'Jiih'and his men.’ He commanded no mon. He belonged to the corps of scouts undci command of Captain Swindley. We marched across the plains from Fort Galatea, (which was built afterwards) and entered a narrow gorge, with a creek running through it. It had pretty steep sides, and we'had tc cross and recross it a good many times on our journey. In the afternoon it began to open a bit and was bettor marching. All at once shots were hoard, and, coming up, we came to a bit of clearing and found that Jim was shot. Tom Adamson, Bill Ryan, Collins, and Charley , the Greek wore wounded. Afterwards I was in the Tauranga Hospital with the last three. When they got to this bit of clearing there was a spur with a track leading up it. To get to the bottom of the track there was a small g-BWamp, and they got into this before tthey Knew where they were. While bhey were floundering in the swamp they were shot from the track on the spur. A-grave was dug and Jim was buried. Major Wm. Mair read the burial service and Major Roberts lent him his Prayer Book or Now Testament, I do not know which. After the grave was filled in a big fire was lighted on the top of it, as if it was there we cooked our tucker, so that the Uriweras should not find the body. That’s the true facts of the death of Scout Taranaki Jim. By the way, Mr. Skeet, sen., surveyor, father of Mr. Skeet, the surveyor hero, came on the expedition from Tauranga, sketching and taking notes of the country.