FINDING THE BODY OF MR G. MOONLIGHT.

Colonist, Volume XXVII, Issue 3939, 18 September 1884, Page 3

FINDING THE BODY OF MR G. MOONLIGHT.

Some two months since it was reported that Mr George Moonlight, who had been prospecting in the neighborhood of Mr Kerr's Bun at Lake Eotoiti, was missing, and when the labors of the search parties proved unavailing, virtually no hope was left that the missing man had escaped death in some form. Searching has, however, been continued ever since, and in some quarters painful suspicions were aroused as those who knew Mr George Moonlight, the discoverer of many goldfields, in this and the West Coast districts, . and the hardships to which he was inured, felt that something extraordinary must have happened before a man of his determination, and iron constitution was compelled" to give in. Feeling ail this a number of his associates—men of experience in bush work and digging, resolved to leave no stone unturned in their endeavor to find the remains of one whom they eacharid all respected. Fortunately their labors have proved successful for on Tuesday, afternoon; the body was found about 4 or 5 miles from tho camp where Moonlight and his mate Bailey, were last together. Yesterday John Moonlight the only son of the deceased—a youth of about 16 brought the melancholy tidings' to Town, his report which pictures, a most sad end for one whose determination pluck, and: energy,; had benefited so many, was as. follows:-^ " John Moonlight reports ;that the body of his father was found at 3.15 p.m; oh Tuesday at a place known as Cow Creek. A fresh search party of six have been'out for the last ten days searching Fraser's Creek and locality. At the hour mentioned above one of the search party named John Tarren found the body of the missing man George Moonlight. The body was lying on its left side, and apparently in a fair state of preservation, excepting that a little of the face was gone. Tlie deceased appeared to have dropped on the track, and after a slight struggle rolled off the track—his walking stick was lying on the right hand side of the track and his hat lying on tho track. The body had the appearance of having dropped from exhaustion. The place where it was found is almost seven miles from Eobert Edgar's accommodation house, and about three miles from the nearest point where the main road can be struck. It will be necessary to have the body carried on a stretcher from where it is lying to the main road, and thence taken to Edgar's by cart or express. Young Moonlight believes that his father knew where he was, and was endeavoring to come out at Edgar's, whenhia strength failed, and that he fell where he has been found." Constable Knapp will, at once proceed to tbe spot where poor Moonlight was found, and have his remains conveyed to Edgar's Accommodation House in tbe Hope Valley, where an inquest is to be held on Friday. We understand that some of the friends of the deceased propose to have the remains brought to town that they may be interred beside those of the late Mrs Moonlight.