“THE ONE POLICEMAN”

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1930, Page 5

“THE ONE POLICEMAN”

DEATH OF THOMAS HICKMAN MAN WHO ARRESTED TE WHITE AN INTREPID FOREST RANGER. ' - \- - ' Formerly widely known in the coastal district as “Mr. Ballance’s one policeman,” Mr. Thomas Hickman died at New Plymouth yesterday- at the age of 82.. As an intrepid member of the Forest Rangers he had a distinguished career during the later years 1 of the Maori War, but he will probably be remembered for one spectacular and courageous act diiring the wildest days pf the Parihaka troubles. Walking alone into the Maori stronghold he arrested the famous prophet Te Whiti under circumstances where a company of soldiers might have perished. Described as “the smallest and smartest man in the New Zealand police force,” no one commanded greater confidence in the district from Okato to Opunake than Mr. Hickman. As a member of the Armed Constabulary he was appointed by the Hon. John Ballance to police that area alone. When he retired in 1911 he had completed 43 years of service, 18 years and 8 months of military service, and 24 years and 4 montlis of police service. His earlier career was spent as a member of the famous For- . est Rangers, the body of scouts that fought the Maoris at their own game i amidst the tangled forests, of. Taranaki. Born at Pon to de Mare,.’France, on January 13, 1848, Mr. Hickman went to England early in ‘lB5O or 1852 with his parents, Edward and Ellen Hickman, whose home was at Moorecroft, Bilston, Staffordshire, and there he remained until 1867, when he left Eng- , land for New Zealand by the ship Wild , Duck, which arrived at Wellington on December 21, ?~37. Mr. Hickman remained at Wellington until early in June, 1868, and during/that time he was employed as a junior clerk with Mills and Co., engineers. HAWERA AND PATEA TROUBLE. ‘ Maori troubles broke out .in the Hawera and Patea districts early in June, 1868, and there were several murders. Colonel McDonald, commanding - officer in the Wanganui and Patea districts, visited Wellington and' made an appeal to the “volunteer forces of that district and to men who were willing to volunteer for active service.” Although 500 members of the volunteer corps were paraded only about a dozen responded to the call. The next day another appeal was made and the “Wellington Rangers,” of about 100 men ,

was formed. Mr. Hickman was a mem- , be.r of this - company, which was dispatched to Patea, where Captain Page took command, the other two officers being Lieutenants Hunter and Hastings. After a few days of drill the men were sent to the farthest outpost, the redoubt of Ohawe, near the mouth of the Waingongoro River. On July 12, 1868, the- Maoris made the- disastrous attack on the Turuturu Mokai redoubt, where Captain Ross and , most of its defenders, were either killed or wounded by the infuriated Hauhaus. Mr. Hickman iwas: a member of Von Tempsky’s pfti/ty s/pit. out rip their relief from Waihi an<t which brought, back the killed and' wounded td the Waihi redoubt three, fiii les: a-why. It .was there that Mr. Hickman and his brother Jerry '« rescued George Tuffin, who was severely wounded in the battle. The two comrades' carried the injured soldier ‘•'back to the redoubt. In 1918, many years after the incident, there was a re-union in Wanganui, where the old soldiers fought the battles over once more.. , ■

Later Mr. Hickman was with his company at the first/attack on' Te Ngutu-o-fe-Manu in September, when Major Von Tempsky and many officers and men were killed.’ Several of his company were amongst the casualties and both officers who were present, Lieutenants Hunter and Hastings, were killed.

In October, the Wellington Rangers were disbanded and Mr. Hickman joined the second company of the Armed Constabulary Force- under Captain George McDonnell, and he was on active service under Colonel-Sir George Whitmore near Ratea until March, 1869, when he left Wanganui in the steamer Lyttelton for the East Coast, via Napier. SERVICES ON EAST COAST. On that coast he saw further service at Wairoa, Lake Waikaremoaua and Turanganui (Gisborne). Thence he proceeded to Opotiki, Makatane and Matata, being stationed at the latter settlement with No. 7 Company of the Armed Constabulary under Captain ‘Grundy. During wild times at. Forte Clarke, Alfred and Galatea, and in the Urewera country, he fought under Colonel Whitmore. On the forces being withdrawn Mr. Hickman, with a number of others, was sent to Tauranga, where he was stationed until 1872. During his service there he was at times doing mounted duty between Tauranga and Opotiki, and as there was not one bridge on the coastal track it was anything but a pleasant ride. It was there that he saw hie last actual active service. Early in February of 1870 100 constabulary, 200 Arawas and about 20 volunteers were sent out to attack Te Kooti, who was supposed be encamped about 20 miles within the hinterland of Tauranga. However, instead of finding the bloodthirsty chief, he found the attacking party. When they were approaching the Paengaroa pa the Armed Constabulary party fell into ah ambush, and after a disastrom fight six were killed and several wounded. Still the rebels were cleared out and that was the last >f Te Kooti in the Tauranga district.

' About 18 months later H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Alfred) pnid a visit to Rotorua. Mr. Hickman was one of the troopers who escorted the party, amongst which were Lord Charles Beresford and a number of naval officers. It was on this occasion that Mr. Hickman was able to visit the pink and white terraces at Lake Tarawcra.

A transfer from the Tauranga to the Taupo districts camo in May, 1872, and until March 19, 1874, Mr. Hickman was at tho Opepe stockade. Later he was sent to the Taranaki district, reaching New Plymouth on March 29, where he took up his duties at Pukearuhe on April 3. He remained at the White Cliffs until June, when he was ordered back to New Plymouth as a mounted constable, being sent out trooping to Okato in September. There he remained until 1876. His duties at Okato were dispatch work and a twoday service carrying telegrams from Okato to Opunake. At that time there was a break in the telegraph between those two towns —To Whiti ranged between —and all telegrams north and south of these places had to be carried by a mounted constable. In July, 1876, New Plymouth was connected by wire through the mountain track from Hawera vid Eltham, Stratford and Inglewood, so that the service of the mounted men was no longer required at Okato. Several were dismounted, but Mr. Hickman was transferred to Urenui and ■riven charge of that station and later promoted to the rank of mounts sergeant.

DISPATCH RIDING DUTIES. His duties were dispatch riding, carrying. mail between the post offices at Urenui and Waitara, and general trooper’s work between I’ukearuhe and Rew Plymouth. He also did much duty away from his station. In 1880 and 1881 he several times visited Parihaka and the Okato district, making inquiries about the Maori disaffection, and he was present at Parihaka on that historic occasion when the Hon. John Bryce arrested Te Whiti and Tohu on November 5, 1881.

In November, 1884, the Urenui station . was closed and Mr. Hickman was trans--1 ferred to the Parihaka district, being for a time stationed in the pa. On the ,■ force leaving Parihaka for Opunake he was sent to Pungarehu, where he remained a few months and then trans- ’ ferred to the depot at Wellington. During his stay there he was mounted or- ’ dorly to Sir George Whitmore and also ' did a certain amount of mounted police ! duties, such as Governor’s escort. In December, 1835, lie w<®s sent back 1 to Taranaki and stationed at Opunake, doin<r mounted duty until February, 1887° when he was transferred to the police force as a mounted constable. He was appointed to the police force specially for Maori work and was. occupied in special duties between Opunake and Hawera, watching the movements of Titokowaru and other troublesome natives from February, 1887, to March, 1888, when he was transferred to Pungarehu. It was about this time that the military forces,, were withdrawn from Opunak* and (Parihaka in pursuance of the Hon. John Ballances “one policeman” policy. Mr. Ballance, who had taken the native portfolio in the Stout-Vogel Ministry, disagreed with keeping a large armed force on this coast, “declaring that “one policeman” was sufficient to maintain law and order among the natives. Mr. Hickman was selected to.be the “one policeman” appointed. His appointment was a masterstroke on the part of Ballance, who simply smiled when people shook their heads and pointed out the risk he was taking. The Maoris at this time were t yery troublesome, ploughing settlers’ land, pulling down fences, sly grog-selling and annoying the settlers in every possible way, so that it became necessary to make many arrests. Inspector Pardy was in charge of the Taranaki district at this time and for many years afterwards, and during his term of office many raids were’ made on Parihaka and many'Maoris arrested for different offences. Te Whiti, chief and prophet, was also arrested two or three times for political offences and contempt of court, and Mr. Hickman was on every occasion one of the arresting party. ARREST OF A MURDERER. During Inspecto- term in charge of the Taranaki district' (189698) Mr. Hickman arrested at Parihaka a native named Enoka, who had murdered his wife. This was the most try-

ing case lie had to deal with during the time he was stationed in the district. There were over twenty Maori witnesses for the prosecution, and owing to the circumstances, of the case he had no assistance whatever. However, after a trial lasting four days Enoka was found guilty and executed at New Plymouth gaol. ; Mr. Hickman’s duty was on all occasions successfully performed, and he made a reputation" for justice that will remain long in the district. He gave satisfaction to the Police Department, the settlers and the Maoris. He ' was transferred again to Opunake on November 17, 1898, as constable in charge of that sub-district, and was. appointed Clerk of the Magistrate’s Court) bailiff, inspector of factories, shops, offices and weights and measures, inspector under the Arms Act, Clerk to the Assessment Court, and official (Gov-t ernnient) member to the Maori Council of the West Coast district. His duties also included attention to all Maori police work in the Pungarehu and Hawera sub-districts. He continued to discharge these duties until March 31, 1911, when he retired on superannuation, being granted three months’ leave of absence on full pay, and his superannuation commencing on July 1. Mr. Hickman was married at St. Mary’s Church, New Plymouth, by the Ven. Archdeacon Govett on October 31, 1876, to Martha Selina, youngest daughter of Mr. Nicholas Golding, of New Plymouth, late sergeant in H.M. 65th Regiment. Mr. and Mrs. Hickman celebrated their golden wedding on October 31, 1926, at Wanganui, where they lived after his retirement until a year or two ago, when they removed to New Plymouth. For some years he was secretary of the Wanganui branch of H.M. Veterans’ Association. He is survived by his widow and a family of six sons and two daughters. The song are Arthur Thomas (Opunake), Lewis (Hawera), Herbert and Percy (Wanganui), Willie (Hawera), and Walter (Wanganui). The daughters are Mrs. L. E. Jackson (New Plymouth) and Miss Lily Hickman (New Plymouth). There are 15 grandchildren. A brother, Mr. Jerry Hickman, who was a comrade in the wars, died four years ago. The funeral is to be held at Te Henui, New Plymouth, to-morrow, at 2.30 p.m.