THE OPOTIKI MURDER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 660, 25 March 1865, Page 3

THE OPOTIKI MURDER.

Captain Levy, of the schooner Eclipse, has published the diary kept by him during the eventful time, the Europeans were prisoners at Opotiki, which we find in the Auckland papers brought by tho Rangatira yesterday. We intend giving it in full next week, and in the meantime find spaoe for the following harrowing details of the butchery of the Rev. Mr. Volkner, as witnessed by Captain Levy :—: —

The party asked for Mr. Volkner, who came out without his hat, and then returned for it, apparently pleased, as the natives had told him they were going to take him to a meeting 5 but, alas for him, ib was the mooting of death. As be was walking with them they told him their object. The reverend gentleman then aakod permission | to stay near the ohurch and pray for five minutes, wldch they acceded to. He sent one of the natives for his prayerbook, and whilst this was takiug place the natives sent on board the vessel for a block and strap, which. they made fast to the topmost branches of a large willow tree, about 200 yards from the church. About 800 natives had now assembled, and Mr. Volkner was marched under the tree. The natives took off his coat, vest, and shirt, which the principal chief put on, being quite pleased with the watch and chain. This chief was Kercopa, of Maketu, who was travelling with the Taranakis, and a main cause of all the evil. Poor Volkner had only his flannel and trousers left to cover his nakedness. He manifested the greatest calmness throughout, and shook hands with many of tho natives whilst they were tying his handkerchief over his eyes and hauling him up to the fatal branch. The natives marvelled greatly at the tears running from Mr. Volkner's eyes. They did n6t pinion either arms or legs, but left him to dangle for nearly an hour in the air, whilst some of the natives were hauling at his legs to get off his boots aud trousers, sharing what was in the pockets whilst he hung over them. One of the natives also put on the trousers in the dying man's presence. After letting the body bang about half an hour, it was lowered and taken to the church, near which they fenced in a place, spread the body out in the form of across, and proceeded to Cut off the head, the body being still warm, and symptoms of life being yet apparent. The inhuman fellows then carefully cut the flesh round the ohest and back, and chopped off the neck with an old axp. The natives then formed themselves into 6'lifae, and prepared to taste the blood as it ran outoCtho head and body. Amongst the women there was a fearful scramble J as to who Bhould have the most. What blood dropped on the ground they painted their faces with. The ohief Kereopa took out the eyeß with his fingers, and eat them before the orowd, in order to Bhow them an example. The flesh of the neck was then stripped off, and given to tbe dogs, a large numbor of whom were around the place. A fight arose amongst the dogs, and the natives threw the body to them. After it had been gnawed for some time by the dog«> the natives took it up and threw it down a watercloset close at hand. In the evening the natives told me they had buried the body. Shortly after the occurrence I was walking with my brother in, the fern, when four natives with double-barrelled guns came up, and told us we were wanted. We followed them to the house of . Mr. William Hooper, a settler, who has lived there some seventeen years, when, to our great surprise, we found the whole of the European inhabitants, nineteen in number, assembled with their hands tied behind their backs, with the Rev. Mr. Grace amongst them,. Myself and brother were served the same. Every pooket was rifled of its contents, and we thought our time had also come to die. Wo had not remained long in that position when'we heard a disturbance outside, which we discovered was caused by the Taranakis hearing that the Jews were tied up. One of them rushed in and oat us loose, and told us we were all at perfect liberty except Mr. Grace. We left the house in the greatest dread. Whilst this was transpiring, the natives visited Mr. Hooper, who was suffering from consumption, pulled him out of bed in order to steal the blankets from under him, and taking away everything moveable. At this time tho Rev. Mr. Grace did not know that poor Volkner was murdered. In the evening a meeting was held in the Catholic Chapel, which my brother and myself attended, when the bleeding head of poor Volkner was placed on tho pulpit, and remained there until the natives went through all their brutal forms of yelling and dancing to it, when it was taken to a copper Maori to be cleaned and dried.

Captain Levy thus desoribes how Mr. Grace escaped : —

Thursday, March 16. — At about half-past six this morning, the native Heremeta (who cut Volkner's head off) came to my bed and told me there was a large steamer coming along the coast close in shore. I mounted a chimney and saw that it Was H.M.S. Eclipse. My brother and myself got into a canoe and paddled down to meet her, delivering the letter given me for the Goverment to Mr. Rice. I told them what had occurred. The Bishop of New Zealand asked jne if there was any hope of getting Mr. Grace. I gave thum but little hope. They asked me if I thought steamers boats could cnt hjm out. I told them the natives would have Mr. Grace miles up the bush long before, the boat could land. His lordship told me money was no object, but I assured him it was no use offering it, and entertained but little hope of recovering him. I told him Tiwai and William King were on shore, and he asked me to go and bring them off, as I thought it imprudent to send a ship's boat ashore. I left my brother on board and went ashore with two of my men. William King and Tiwai were gone. I went in search, but was told by Mr. Grace, who was taking his usual walk, that the natives were gone to a meeting respecting the arrival of tho steamer. On seeing the Rev. gantleman so sad, and knowing the fate allotted to him, I made up my mind to risk my life as well as those that were with me, to save, if possible the Rev. gentleman. I sent to tell him if he would walk down to the point of the river I would take him in, but after a thought I saw the danger of his walking it, so I told him to jump into the boat at once, which he did. I had some serge shirts in the boat with which I covered him over. As he was getting into the boat the women, who missed him from the yard, ran to the boat, and divining our intention ran off to tho meeting being held in a -wnare nearly at the side of the river. It was now pull for our lives, and we did pull, the Rev. Grace being still at the bottom of the boat. Some Maoris appeared on the beach with their rifles, but as we had the tide in our favour, we managed to esoape and rowed our captive to the steamer.